Trump demands that Ukraine return all US aid under the new subsoil deal
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- Alona Kokhanchuk
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12:04, 28 March, 2025
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump during a meeting at Trump Tower in New York, 27 September 2024. Photo: EPA/UPGThe administration of US President Donald Trump has included in the subsoil agreement a requirement that Ukraine reimburse all assistance provided by the United States after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
This is reported by «EuroPravda», which has the text of the agreement.
The text of the agreement states that Ukraine must compensate the United States for the costs of budgetary, military and humanitarian assistance provided after the invasion. This amount is estimated at 123 billion euros. The majority of these funds were spent on military support, including arms orders from US manufacturers, the transfer of surplus weapons, and replenishment of Pentagon stocks.
According to the agreement, Ukraine must convert the Fund's income into dollars and transfer them to US accounts upon request without fees. In case of expenses, they will also have to be reimbursed.
The sources of the Fund's income will be:
- 50% of the value of all new licences and royalties for the development of Ukraine's subsoil;
- 50% of revenues from infrastructure facilities (the details of this clause are not disclosed in the agreement).
In addition, it is noted that the Fund will be able to reinvest part of its revenues in projects in Ukraine, receiving 50% of the state's future profits from these investments.
The agreement also requires Ukraine to repay its «debt» to the United States on time, as it is expected to increase by 4% annually. Therefore, the longer Ukraine postpones payments, the more money it will have to compensate.
As a reminder, on 27 March, it became known that the United States had submitted a new draft agreement on minerals to Ukraine, which will soon be considered by the Verkhovna Rada.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the United States had offered Ukraine an expanded minerals agreement, which would immediately require ratification in parliament.
Agreement on minerals between Ukraine and the United States
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 United States might consider investing in mining on the Black Sea shelf, which is currently under Russian occupation.
US National Security Advisor Mike Volz called on Kyiv «to tone it down» and sign the mining agreement that President Zelenskyy had previously rejected.