Earlier this month, U.S. treasury Secretary Scott Besant flew to Ukraine.
He was there to meet with the country's president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
And there was something specific Besant wanted to talk with Zelenskyy about.
And the account went like this.
Besant pushed a piece of paper across the table, which was a deal,
a deal for Ukraine to sign away to the US Rights to some of its mineral resources.
That's our colleague, James Marson, Ukraine bureau chief.
The scene is based on a description
from a US Republican lawmaker who spoke with Zelenskyy a few days later.
He demanded that Zelenskyy sign it.
Zelenskyy took a look and said he'd discuss it with his team.
Besant then pushed it closer to Zelenskyy and said, you really need to sign this.
He then said that people back in Washington would be upset if Zelenskyy didn't.
Zelenskyy took the document and he didn't commit to signing it.
The Trump administration was asking for the rights
to hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Ukrainian mineral deposits.
It says the minerals would repay the US for its military
and financial aid to Ukraine during the war.
And now the mineral rights have become a major focus for the Trump administration
as it pushes to end the war.