Trump: Ukraine and US «close enough» in signing fossil fuel deal
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- Svitlana Ivanchenko
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8:15, 22 February, 2025
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump. Photo: ReutersUS President Donald Trump has said that Washington and Kyiv are in the final stages of negotiations on a fossil fuel deal.
He said this during a meeting with journalists on 21 February.
«I think we're pretty close to it», Donald Trump said in response to a journalist's question about signing an agreement with Ukraine on minerals.
He also warned that Kyiv could face difficulties if it does not agree to the deal and stressed that the US intends to return its investment. According to him, Joe Biden was supposed to sign the agreement.
«We will get our money back. It (the agreement) should have been signed long before we started acting. It should have been signed by Biden», he added.
It should be noted that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed in his evening address that the Ukrainian and US teams continue to work on the agreement. He expressed hope for a «fair outcome».
At the same time, Reuters, citing three informed sources, writes that US negotiators are considering disconnecting Ukraine from the Starlink satellite internet system if Kyiv does not agree to Washington's terms.
Earlier it was reported that the administration of US President Donald Trump sent Ukraine an updated version of the mining agreement, which took into account some of Kyiv's comments.
Earlier, Donald Trump said that he would like to conclude a deal under which Ukraine would supply the US with rare earth minerals needed for electronics production in exchange for US aid.
However, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz criticised Donald Trump's proposal to provide Ukraine with military assistance in exchange for its minerals.
Subsequently, US President Donald Trump said that Ukraine had agreed to provide Washington with access to rare earth minerals worth $500 billion.
It should be noted, however, that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refused to sign the agreement on granting the US access to rare earth minerals. The White House called this decision «short-sighted».
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the US might consider investing in mining on the Black Sea shelf, which is currently under Russian occupation.
However, Donald Trump later stated that he intended to renew the agreement with Ukraine on rare earth minerals.
US National Security Adviser Mike Volz called on Kyiv «to tone it down» and sign the mining agreement, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously rejected.