There is no $500 billion of debt in agreement with United States on minerals, neither 350 nor 100. We are not in debt, - Zelenskyy
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the final version of the agreement with the United States on rare earth metals.
He said this at a press conference, Censor.NET reports.
"There is no $500 billion of debt in the agreement, neither 350 nor 100. The main thing for me was that we are not debtors. It would be unfair to us," Zelenskyy said.
According to him, the two countries have now agreed on a framework agreement that does not require parliamentary ratification.
However, Kyiv and Washington will develop a separate detailed agreement on a joint minerals fund, which will require the Rada's ratification.
"It does not contain all the security guarantees that Ukraine wanted to see, but I wanted at least a sentence on guarantees [in the framework agreement], and it is in the framework agreement, paragraph 10, I think," the president emphasized.
He added that the text states that the United States supports "Ukraine's efforts to obtain the security guarantees necessary for sustainable peace."
Minerals deal with the US
As a reminder, Trump has said he wants to sign a $500 billion 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 derailed the rare earth metals deal. The agreement was needed so that the United States could recover the money spent on supporting Ukraine.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has handed over to Ukraine an "improved" draft of the minerals agreement that "complies with Ukrainian law."
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that if the United States wants to see specific numbers in the minerals agreement, then according to Ukrainian law, ratification by the Verkhovna Rada will be required.
On February 25, the Financial Times reported that Ukraine and the United States had agreed on the terms of the minerals agreement and were ready to sign the document.
