US and Ukraine are close to signing a minerals deal "as soon as this week" - FT
Kyiv • UNN
The US and Ukraine are close to signing a framework agreement on minerals. Kyiv has secured concessions from the Trump administration not to take into account past military aid.
The US and Ukraine are close to signing a framework agreement on minerals "as soon as this week" after Kyiv said it had secured a significant concession from the Trump administration not to take into account past military aid, the Financial Times reports, UNN writes.
Details
The latest developments are said to mark a significant step forward after the signing ceremony for an earlier version of the agreement was cancelled in February amid public disagreements in the Oval Office between Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Senior Ukrainian officials are said to have previously told the Financial Times that "the US request to use revenues from the minerals deal to repay past military aid would undermine their country's sovereignty, potentially disrupting Ukraine's bid to join the EU and would not be approved by the country's parliament."
Many Ukrainian MPs, including some from Zelenskyy's ruling party, have expressed concern about the minerals deal and told FT they would not vote for a bad deal.
Senior Ukrainian officials told FT that the framework deal, which is nearing completion, covers all mineral resources, including oil and gas, as well as key energy assets throughout Ukraine.
"The agreement must comply with European obligations and must not contradict the constitution and legislation of Ukraine," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said, suggesting that the new agreement is aimed at addressing Kyiv's concerns.
Kyiv and Washington signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this month pledging to advance an agreement on the investment fund portion of the deal on Ukraine's natural resources and energy assets.
The negotiations were so sensitive that Zelenskyy earlier this month ordered an investigation into the leak of a previous US proposal, which included the use of polygraphs to test government officials.
In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said he was confident that the deal "will be concluded". "The negotiators have been working hard over the weekend," he said, adding that Trump is "determined to get this done".