Draft of new resource agreement with US does not even hint at security guarantees - Zhelezniak
The United States has submitted a new draft agreement on minerals to Ukraine, which must be ratified by the Verkhovna Rada.
This was reported on Facebook by MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak, Censor.NET reports.
"Well, here's an insight into the deal on fossil fuels. I received this document yesterday from our government officials. According to my information, these are the 58 pages that I have been reading all evening, dated March 23, and allegedly sent to us by the American side. As a new draft agreement on fossil fuels. Its fate is unknown," the MP said.
Zhelezniak noted that this is not the final document.
"I hope the Ukrainian side will demand and achieve significant changes to it. But the text I've seen is just horrifying. All 18 chapters... This is no longer a framework memorandum of intent (which was before the scandalous meeting in the Oval Office). This is a big and very clear agreement. And it is not in our favor," he emphasized.
What is the essence of the agreement
"There are five people in charge, three of them from the US with full veto power. We are talking about all mineral resources. That is, oil and gas, both new and existing. All over Ukraine. We are talking about mining by both state and private companies. The money is converted immediately into foreign currency. The fund's money is withdrawn abroad. If for some reason something doesn't reach us, we pay extra. The US contribution is the assistance already provided to us since 2022. And they can make a profit at their own discretion. And they receive a 4% "royalty" from the Fund first (and then Ukraine)," the MP said.
According to Zhelezniak, the agreement is valid indefinitely.
"It can be changed or terminated only with the permission of the Americans. First-night rights for all new infrastructure projects and the right to veto the sale of resources to other countries. Nothing about security guarantees. Not even a hint," he added.
Zheleznyak also noted that the document contains a lot of legal text.
"And it can and should be changed. Otherwise, I have no idea how it can be ratified by the Parliament," Zhelezniak concluded.
