Ukraine and US to hold next round of talks on mineral resources agreement
Pravda Ukraine
Ukraine and the United States have scheduled the next round of negotiations on an agreement regarding the use of Ukrainian natural resources, set to begin on 23 February.
Source: Andrii Yermak, Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, at Ukraine. Year 2025 forum
Details: Minister of Economy Yuliia Svyrydenko will also take part in the negotiations.
Svyrydenko noted that discussions with the US will cover not only Ukrainian mineral resources but also other issues, including security.
She added that the value of mineral deposits in Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia exceeds US$350 billion.
Yermak stated that Ukraine views American and European investments in mineral extraction as “a certain element of security guarantees”.
Quote from Yermak: “We continue this dialogue with our partners… No one has abandoned it. We have a normal working process, which can last a day or months.”
Details: Yermak added that any potential agreement must align with Ukraine’s national interests and also “be of interest to our partners”.
The mineral resources agreement, which has caused tensions in US-Ukraine relations, is part of broader efforts to end the Russo-Ukrainian war.
Background:
- On 21 February, Axios reported that US and Ukrainian officials had been negotiating all night into Friday morning in an attempt to reach a deal on the minerals and stem the deterioration in relations between Kyiv and Washington.
- US National Security Adviser Mike Volz said that Zelenskyy would sign the deal soon.
- The UK Sky News broadcaster reported that Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not yet ready to sign an agreement with the US on the use of Ukrainian natural resources due to “a number of problematic issues” in its current version.
Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!