EU Ambassador says EU-Ukraine cooperation on critical raw materials will continue as before
Pravda Ukraine
EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová assumes that cooperation between Ukraine and the EU on minerals will continue without any major changes amid the events surrounding the “minerals deal” with the United States.
Source: Katarína Mathernová in an interview with Ukrinform, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Mathernová was asked if we could anticipate Kyiv and the European Union to intensify their cooperation on mineral issues following the failure to strike a framework agreement with the United States.
“We have had a memorandum since 2021; we have provided a lot of technical assistance on this basis, and we have been working with the Ukrainian authorities to help clarify the map of mineral deposits. And I think we will continue to work together on this. But frankly, I don’t think that in the current situation, this is the EU’s top priority,” the ambassador said.
She went on to say that the first priority now is to strengthen Ukraine ahead of potential negotiations, discuss security guarantees, and work on large-scale European integration.
“So, I think [work under the] 2021 memorandum will continue as before. This is not a top priority now,” the ambassador added.
Background:
- Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal said that the mineral agreement with the US takes into account the agreements reached earlier with the European Union in this area.
- The signing of the framework agreement was scheduled for 28 February during Zelenskyy’s visit to the US, but was disrupted by a spat between Zelenskyy and Trump.
- The White House says that Trump still does not rule out signing the agreement.
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