'Stop tapping your finger': Zelenskyy responds to Bessent’s criticism of subsoil deal
Photo: US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (president.gov.ua)
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, during his visit to Kyiv in February, expected Ukraine to immediately sign the subsoil deal. However, his approach was mistaken, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"I believe the problems lie in Mr. Bessent's approach. What he brought with him and said, 'You need to sign this now'... My colleagues know that tapping your finger on the deal and saying, 'Now it has to be signed'—I could only tell him, 'Stop tapping your finger and let’s talk substantively. He probably expected a different kind of dialogue, but I don’t consider Ukraine a third-rate country,'" Zelenskyy emphasized.
The president noted that he and Bessent were supposed to engage on equal terms, as citizens of Ukraine and the United States, with mutual respect. However, this approach "in some sense did not sit well with the American minister."
He added that he would not disclose all the details of the negotiations with Bessent, but he was not afraid if the US Treasury Secretary decided to reveal the full details.
According to Zelenskyy, the draft agreement presented by Bessent contained certain provisions that did not comply with Ukraine's Constitution and legislation.
Bessent's scandalous statement
Recently, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of allegedly sabotaging the signing of the subsoil deal between Ukraine and the US.
According to him, the Ukrainian president "promised three times to sign the deal" but ultimately did not do so.
