Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is not currently ready to conclude a mineral extraction agreement with the United States.
This is reported by Sky News, citing sources.
Previously, the US leader Donald Trump said that the signing of the document was close, but this was denied by a media source familiar with the negotiations.
According to a Ukrainian source, Zelensky is not ready to sign the document in its current form. The government sees "a number of problematic issues" in the draft agreements.
“Currently, the drafts do not reflect the partnership in the agreement, but only contain unilateral obligations for Ukraine,” a source tells Sky News.
Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk told Japanese media outlet NHK Japan that Ukraine would begin “serious work” on the agreement next week. Starting Monday, the government wants to entrust this task to a group of experts, he added.
The official noted that Ukraine is ready to cooperate with the United States, but seeks to receive specific security guarantees. Kyiv wants to have constructive discussions and hold a summit with Washington as soon as possible, Stefanchuk added.
The US wants Ukrainian minerals
The US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant brought a pilot draft of a minerals agreement to Ukraine on February 12. Washington had hoped that Kyiv would sign it immediately. President Zelensky said that he had banned the agreement from being signed because it would not protect Ukraine’s interests — it had no connection to investments, profits, or security guarantees.
Previously, Trump had stated that Ukraine had "essentially agreed" to transfer half a trillion dollars worth of rare earth metals to Washington as payment for American military aid.
Ukraine is ready to sign an agreement on rare earth metals, but Kyiv needs security guarantees, which were not there. Zelensky added: "The document was clear in only one thing — we must give 50% of everything that is listed there."
- The other day, Bloomberg wrote that representatives of Kyiv and Washington plan to normalize transatlantic relations within a week to reach an agreement on a minerals deal.
- American negotiators, who are pressuring Ukraine to sign the agreement, have threatened to disconnect Ukraine from the Starlink satellite communications system.
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