Zelensky comments on draft US minerals deal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday a draft minerals deal with Washington did not contain the security provisions that Kyiv needed and three sources said the United States had proposed taking ownership of 50% of Ukraine”s critical minerals.
The negotiations illustrate the perilous diplomatic waters that Ukraine”s leader must navigate as he seeks to win the backing of Donald Trump and secure post-war security guarantees, as the US president pushes to end the war with Russia.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent presented a draft deal during a trip to Kyiv on Wednesday after Zelenskiy set out the contours of an agreement that could open up Ukraine”s vast natural wealth to US investment, two sources familiar with the matter said.
Ukraine, which is trying to forge ties with Trump by appealing to his penchant for a deal, has not disclosed the content of the discussions, though two Ukrainian sources said on Friday that Kyiv had given a revised draft to the US side.
Asked by reporters what the problem with the US document was, Zelenskiy said in his most candid comments to date, “It”s not in our interest today, not in (the) interest of (a) sovereign Ukraine.”
“There are not very concrete things about security guarantees in this document. That for me is very important: the connection between some kind of security guarantees and some kind of investment,” he continued.
Zelenskiy”s team has placed high importance on the need for Ukraine to receive guarantees from the US that would deter Russia from launching a new invasion once a peace deal is reached. Bessent has said the deal could provide Ukraine with a “security shield” and intertwine Kyiv”s economy with the United States.
Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters Zelenskiy had declined to sign the deal on Wednesday when the United States presented a document that proposed giving the United States ownership of half of Ukraine”s critical minerals.
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