On February 24, the European Union offered Ukraine its own deal on "critical minerals" just as US President Donald Trump said Washington was close to reaching a deal with Kyiv on the rights to its vast natural resources. Politico writes about it, UNN reports.
Details
European Commissioner for Industrial Strategy Stefan Sejourne said that he presented an alternative proposal to Ukrainian officials during the European Commission's visit to Kyiv, timed to coincide with the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.
"Twenty-one of the 30 critical minerals that Europe needs can come from Ukraine in a mutually beneficial partnership," Sejourne said.
He also emphasized: "The advantage of Europe is that we will never demand a deal that is not mutually beneficial.
Meanwhile, Trump is increasingly seeking rights to Ukrainian minerals, demanding up to $500 billion in compensation for supporting Kyiv in its confrontation with Moscow, the newspaper writes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has so far refused to sign two draft agreements proposed by the Trump administration. According to The New York Times, their terms stipulate that Kyiv will give up up to $500 billion in mineral, oil, and gas profits, as well as revenues from ports and other infrastructure. Zelenskiy called these demands too harsh.
"I will not sign something that will have to be returned to ten generations of Ukrainians," he said at a press conference on February 23.
However, on Monday, Trump insisted that the "final deal" is "very close" and will include "rare earth elements and various other things.
According to the publication, Ukraine has significant deposits of critical elements and minerals, from lithium to titanium, which are key to the production of modern technologies and are highly valued in the global race for resources.
In addition, as noted, the country has huge reserves of coal, oil, gas and uranium, but a significant part of these resources is located in the territories occupied by Russia.
Recall
President Donald Trump explained why the US needs a minerals deal with Ukraine and said that America has made progress on the agreement.