Zelenskyy refused to transfer rights to 50% of Ukraine’s natural resources to US
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has refused to sign an agreement giving the US the right to 50 percent of Ukrainian mineral reserves – as reported by the Ukrainian online publication Strana with reference to the Financial Times
According to the portal, Donald Trump wanted Volodymyr Zelenskyy to sign an agreement on transferring about 50 percent of the rights to Ukrainian natural resources to the US. But he rejected Washington’s proposal because he demanded security guarantees in return, which were not included in the American proposals.
“Ukrainian officials asked how the agreement would contribute to Ukraine’s long-term security, but were told only that it would ensure a US presence on Ukrainian territory,” the publication reads.
Zelenskyy is also interested in ensuring that other countries, including the EU states, are involved in the future exploitation of Ukraine’s natural resources and that US and European security guarantees are directly tied to any deal on mineral reserves.
The Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin wrote on social network X, citing US lawmakers, “Several lawmakers in Munich told me that a delegation from the US Congress handed Zelenskyy a paper they wanted him to sign that would give the US rights to 50 percent of Ukraine’s mineral reserves. Zelenskyy politely refused to sign it.”
In early February, the US President said that he wanted access to Ukrainian minerals to compensate for the money spent on supporting Ukraine. The US leader later estimated the deal at $500bn, pointing out that in exchange for access to rare-earth metals and gas, Washington would give Ukraine security guarantees in any potential peace settlement.
