Ukraine proposed last-minute changes to minerals deal – Bessent
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Washington is ready to sign an agreement with Ukraine on rare earth minerals, but Kyiv reportedly proposed new amendments at the last minute.
He made the statement to reporters, according to Censor.NET.
"The Ukrainians decided late last night to introduce some last-minute changes. We’re confident they will reconsider," the secretary said.
Bessent added that Washington is prepared to sign the agreement this Wednesday, provided Kyiv is also ready.
He did not specify what changes Ukraine had proposed only stating that it concerned "the same agreement we reached over the weekend."
"There are no changes on our side," Bessent concluded.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump also commented on the deal, calling it a "security measure" for the United States in the context of providing financial and military assistance to Ukraine in its war against Russian aggression.
"It’s also good for them, because there will be an American presence. And that presence, I believe, will keep a lot of bad actors out of the country — or at least out of the area where we're doing the digging. So, we made a deal, and I assume they’re going to follow through," the U.S. president added.
Recall that the Financial Times reported that the US and Ukraine faced last-minute obstacles when they were on the verge of signing an agreement.
