Ukraine wants to amend new agreement with US. Media revealed details
Kyiv • UNN
Ukraine is concerned about US control over investments and the demand for aid reimbursement. Kyiv insists on amending the draft agreement to avoid undermining its EU accession.
Ukraine will ask for changes to a massive new economic agreement proposed by President Donald Trump, including a promise to increase US investment. This was reported by Bloomberg, citing a person familiar with the matter, UNN reports.
Details
A draft proposal, seen by Bloomberg News, would give Washington control over all major future infrastructure and mineral investments in the war-torn country — and without any time limits. Kyiv is concerned that the deal could not only undermine its bid to join the European Union, but also require it to repay all US military and economic support provided since the start of the war.
Ukrainian officials held a video call with their American counterparts on Friday, including legal experts, to seek clarification on the nearly 60-page draft agreement, according to a person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiations are private.
The Americans did not respond to concerns raised by Kyiv, particularly regarding the proposal's potential conflict with the country's EU membership goals, the person said. This suggests that Washington may be open to discussing changes, according to the person.
The United States remains committed to concluding this vital agreement as soon as possible and ensuring lasting peace for both Ukraine and Russia.
White House and National Security Council officials did not respond to requests for comment outside of normal business hours.
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According to the publication, if adopted, the partnership agreement would give the US effective control over investment decisions covering a significant portion of Ukraine's economy, including mining, oil and gas, critical mineral extraction, as well as ports, roads, and railways.
The US would also get the first right to profits transferred to a special reconstruction investment fund, which would be controlled by Washington. Importantly, it states that the US considers the "material and financial benefits" provided to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 as its contribution to this fund.
Ukrainian officials expressed concern about this part of the proposal during Friday's phone call, the source said. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously ruled out the possibility that US military aid would be counted as debt. On Friday, he reiterated that the agreement should not undermine Ukraine's path to the EU, as membership in the bloc is enshrined in Ukraine's constitution.
Much remains to be done before Kyiv sends its final proposals for amendments, the source said. The draft, which contains no security guarantees for Ukraine, has been sharply criticized by several Ukrainian opposition lawmakers.
First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko on Friday called for an end to "public discussions" of the proposal, warning that it could harm negotiations. Ukraine wants to maintain a "constructive dialogue" with US partners, she wrote on Facebook.
The discussion comes at a particularly sensitive time for Ukraine, after a heated exchange in the Oval Office last month between Zelenskyy, Trump, and Vice President J.D. Vance, which derailed a previous agreement whose contours were more abstract.
The US administration has also increased pressure on Kyiv in negotiations to end the three-year war, while its increasingly favorable stance toward Moscow has alarmed European allies.