Zelenskyy: Minerals deal with US cannot contradict Ukraine’s accession to EU
The agreement on rare earth resources, which is currently being discussed with the American side, cannot contradict Ukraine's future accession to the European Union.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this during a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Censor.NET reports.
"When we talk about this agreement (the official name is the Agreement on the Establishment of the Rules and Conditions of the Investment Fund - ed.), it cannot go against our not even an attempt and not just a desire, but our future accession to the European Union. (...) I do not see the need to discuss any risks now until lawyers give their resolution," Zelenskyy said.
The President also noted that in the coming days a law firm would be selected to work on the draft agreement.
As previously reported, the current version of the minerals agreement is unfavorable for Ukraine, so Kyiv will ask the US to make changes.
Earlier, Yaroslav Zhelezniak, a member of the Voice party and deputy chairman of the Verkhovna Rada's Tax Committee, said that the United States had handed over a new draft of the minerals agreement to Ukraine, which must be ratified by the Verkhovna Rada.
In his opinion, this option is unfavorable for Ukraine.
According to media reports, Donald Trump's administration has returned to the minerals agreement the requirement to reimburse all the aid the United States has provided to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
