Ukraine sending negotiation team to discuss new mineral deal with US: Terms acceptable to both sides
Ukraine is sending a team to Washington this week to discuss a more expansive draft for the minerals deal with the US, the deputy prime minister said Monday.“We aim to align on project selection, legal frameworks, and long-term investment mechanisms,” said Yulia Svyrydenko, who also serves as the nation’s economy minister.“I believe the work on the previous memorandum showed that both teams are capable of reaching these goals and agreeing on terms acceptable to both sides,” she added.
The deal has remained a heated topic between Kyiv and Washington, with President Trump eager to get back billions given in military aid, and Ukrainian lawmakers wary of losing control of their own natural resources.Ukraine holds large deposits of more than 20 minerals the US has deemed critical, including titanium, lithium, and uranium, all of which are necessary for advancements to the military, energy, and nuclear power sectors.
Under the current terms pushed by the US, Ukraine would allocate 50% of future revenues generated from key national assets — including minerals, hydrocarbons, oil, natural gas, and other resources — to the joint fund.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly expressed he’s willing to sign a framework deal at any time, hoping to win Trump’s favor and reignite America’s support against the Russian invasion.The presidents, however, failed to sign the deal following a disastrous Oval Office meeting in February.
After weeks of silence, the US sent a new, altered draft deal.The new deal is more comprehensive, with leaks of the documents showing that the US was also asking for rights to Ukrainian gas and oil, sparking outrage from Kyiv lawmakers.
Because the new deal goes further into details over the agreement than the previous draft, it will likely require ratification by Ukraine’s parliament.Svyrydenko stressed that what has been leaked so far only reflects America’s interests, with Kyiv set to make its demands clear in W...