Ukraine and US plan to finalize minerals deal this week – Bloomberg
The United States and Ukraine have intensified negotiations on a mineral extraction agreement amid a visit to Kyiv by Donald Trump's Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg.
Bloomberg reports this, citing a source, Censor.NET informs.
According to the report, Ukrainian and American negotiators are working to "bridge the gap in transatlantic relations" this week to finalize a deal on critical minerals.
Ukrainian officials are discussing the finalization of the deal with US Special Envoy Keith Kellogg during his visit to Kyiv.
According to the source, ideally, the mining agreement should be signed in the presence of the presidents of the United States and Ukraine.
Zelenskyy, who rejected an initial U.S. offer to receive half of Ukraine's revenues from extraction of mineral resources, said his meeting with Kellogg on Thursday "restored hope."
According to one of the agency's interlocutors, the US proposal was to receive 50% of the sale of licenses and other revenues from extraction of mineral resources, which would have contradicted Ukrainian law. Kyiv then proposed changes to the proposal that would be beneficial to both sides, as critics of the draft agreement condemned it, saying it was "reminiscent of colonialism of past centuries."
The United States continues to push for a mineral extraction agreement that would "lay the groundwork" for Trump's promise to end the conflict and compensate for the aid the United States has already provided to Ukraine, the agency added.
According to another person familiar with the matter, the US administration sees a mineral extraction agreement as a way to link America and Ukraine.
However, according to the source, much of Ukraine's future security guarantees will depend on Europe.
Minerals agreement with the US
As a reminder, Trump has said he wants to strike a $500 million deal with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on access to rare earth resources and natural gas in Ukraine in exchange for security guarantees in any potential peace settlement.
President Zelenskyy said that the agreement with the US on minerals would be signed at the ministerial level when ready and subject to guarantees. Currently, this document is not ready to protect Ukraine's interest.
Later, Trump said that Ukraine had disrupted the deal on rare earth metals. The agreement was needed so that the US could recover the money spent on supporting Ukraine.
Later, it was reported that the Trump administration had given Ukraine an "improved" draft of the minerals agreement that "complies with Ukrainian law".
