U.S.-Ukraine negotiations on mineral agreement are ongoing – White House
Negotiations between the United States and Ukraine on minerals are ongoing.
This was announced during a briefing by the White House press secretary Karoline Levitt, Censor.NET reports.
"These talks are happening as we speak (at the briefing - ed.). I just met with the national security adviser. He is working very hard on this issue. I believe he was going to go into the Oval Office to update the president on where things stand," Levitt said.
However, she did not say when the agreement might be signed.
Minerals agreement 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 interests.
Later, Trump said that Ukraine had undermined 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 given to Ukraine an "improved" draft of the minerals agreement that "complies with Ukrainian law."
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that if the US wants to see specific numbers in the minerals agreement, then according to Ukrainian law, ratification by the Verkhovna Rada will be required.
On 25 February, the Financial Times reported that Ukraine and the United States had agreed on the terms of a deal on minerals, and Kyiv was ready to sign the document.
On February 26, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the signing of a subsoil agreement with the United States.
The agreement was supposed to be signed on February 28 at the White House, but due to a dispute between Trump and Zelenskyy, it did not happen.
