US President Donald Trump announced today, Saturday, that if Ukraine does not sign the rare earth deal, it will face problems with the United States.

Trump said in statements to reporters at the White House, according to Sputnik Agency: "Either we sign the (rare earth deal with Ukraine) or we will have a lot of problems with them."

Trump explained that he hopes to soon reach an agreement on Kiev's obligations to US compensation ranging between $400 and $500 billion.

The American ABC TV channel reported yesterday, Friday, that the issue of an agreement on rare earth minerals between Ukraine and the United States was discussed during the meeting between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump's special envoy for resolving the Ukrainian crisis, Keith Kellogg, in Kiev, noting that Kiev is now working on an updated agreement.

The TV channel quoted a Ukrainian official as saying: "During a meeting between Trump's special envoy for resolving the Ukrainian crisis and Zelensky in Kiev on Thursday, they discussed this proposal again."

The official added that Zelensky's team is now working on an updated agreement. According to ABC, it is not yet clear what changes the Ukrainian side proposed during negotiations with Kellogg on Thursday.

US President Donald Trump said on February 3 that the United States expects Kiev to provide guarantees for the supply of rare earth minerals in exchange for financial and military aid from Washington.

The Washington Post, citing members of the US Congress, reported on February 14 that US officials, during a meeting with Zelensky in Munich, invited him to sign a document that would transfer to the United States the rights to 50 percent of Ukraine's untapped mineral resources.

Zelensky announced the following day that he had refused to sign this agreement with US Vice President J.D. Vance.

On February 19, Trump wrote a post on social media in which he called Zelensky a "modestly successful comedian" and a "dictator." US presidential adviser Mike Waltz later explained that Trump's sharp reaction was due to Kiev's rejection of the rare earth minerals deal.