Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is "not ready" to sign a minerals deal with the United States, a source told AFP on Saturday, raising questions about Washington's demands as a rift between the two countries deepened.

A draft deal between the United States and Ukraine over rare earth minerals and other natural resources is “not the one President Zelensky would accept,” according to a source familiar with the negotiations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky faced pressure on Friday to sign a deal to hand the United States preferential access to Ukraine's mineral deposits following harsh criticism from US President D