Ukraine, US discuss updated minerals agreement in detail for the first time
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- Mariia Khamitsevych
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18:04, 31 March, 2025
Mining, photo: portal.lviv.uaRepresentatives of Ukraine and the United States held the first lengthy negotiations on a new draft agreement on mining proposed by the American side.
According to «Suspilne», citing sources in the President's Office, the Ukrainian government has received an updated version of the agreement and is currently analysing it.
Earlier, Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko stressed that this document is still a working version prepared by American legal advisers. According to her, Ukraine is working to ensure that the final text takes into account all national interests.
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.
Subsequently, the US President Donald Trump's administration sent Ukraine an updated version of the mining agreement, which took into account some of Kyiv's comments. The new draft US minerals agreement provides for the distribution of revenues from resources in the liberated territories of Ukraine.