**ISTANBUL**
US President Donald Trump said Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants to back out of a critical minerals deal, warning him of serious consequences if he did.
"We made a deal on rare earths, and now he’s saying, ‘well, you know, I want to renegotiate the deal,'" Trump said on Air Force One.
"He's trying to back out of the rare earth deal, and if he does that, he’s got some problems. Big, big problems," he added.
“He wants to be a member of NATO. Well, he was never going to be a member of NATO. He understands that. So if he’s looking to renegotiate the deal, he’s got big problems.”
The deal was supposed to be signed when Zelenskyy visited the White House on Feb. 28, but the meeting fell apart after a highly rare feud developed, with Trump and Vice President JD Vance berating the Ukrainian leader and accusing him of being ungrateful for years of American support.
Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy, shed light earlier this month on a letter sent from Zelenskyy to the American president, saying it contained an apology for the Oval Office blowup.
Zelenskyy later said that Ukraine was ready to sign an agreement on minerals and security with the US at any time, noting that it is seen as a step toward greater security and solid security guarantees.
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