LONDON, February 18. /TASS/. Vladimir Zelensky has made a strategic miscalculation by proposing to transfer Ukraine's rare-earth metal reserves to the US without specifying the price and concrete terms of the deal, the Financial Times reported, citing sources among high-ranking European and Ukrainian officials.

According to their assessments, Zelensky should have made it "crystal clear" to Washington that the transfer of resources was linked to "future guarantees of [US] security assistance." "It was written as a lure for [US President Donald] Trump, clearly. But the lack of detail meant Trump could essentially name his price," the newspaper quoted a source as saying.

The source also pointed out that some in Zelensky's entourage "regretted the way" in which he floated the idea of transferring Ukrainian minerals to the US, as it led to a loss of control over "the narrative." With this in mind, Zelensky's team is now "scrambling to come up with an attractive counterproposal."

In early February, Trump said that Washington was interested in obtaining rare-earth metals from Ukraine. Zelensky, in turn, noted his readiness to make a deal and suggested that the outcome of negotiations on this issue could be determined at the Munich Security Conference on February 14-16. However, on February 14 in Munich, the Kiev authorities rejected the US administration's plan to help Ukraine in exchange for Washington's right to 50% of Ukraine's rare-earth metals. At the same time, Zelensky pointed out that there were no security guarantees in the proposed agreement. Kiev said it was working on a counterproposal.