White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt vehemently denied reports on Wednesday that President Donald Trump was moving to deport some 240,000 Ukrainians living in the U.S. as a punitive measure against President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The report surfaced amid ongoing negotiations between U.S. and Ukrainian leaders over a cease-fire in the country’s war with Russia and a deal for Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, crucial for use in the high-tech and defense sectors.
“This is more fake news from Reuters based on anonymous sources who have no idea what they are talking about,” Leavitt said of the report that claimed the administration would move to revoke the Ukrainians’ legal status.
“The truth: no decision has been made at this time,” Leavitt posted online. The press secretary included a screenshot of the initial Reuters report in her post.
However, Trump did announce earlier this week that the U.S. would be suspending all military aid to Ukraine, at least until such time as Zelensky signs the minerals deal, agrees to a cease-fire, or both.