Zelenskyy rejects US mineral deal, citing lack of security guarantees, FT says
Pravda Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected the US proposal to give Washington around 50% of the rights to Ukrainian rare earth minerals, citing the lack of clear security guarantees from the US in the deal.
Source: Financial Times (FT)
Details: Three sources noted that Zelenskyy insists that any deal on mineral resources should be directly linked to US and European security guarantees.
During his visit to the Ukrainian President’s Office in Kyiv, Scott Bessent, US Secretary of the Treasury, brought a document that Donald Trump wanted Zelenskyy to sign before Bessent returned to Washington.
Before discussing the agreement privately with Zelenskyy for about an hour, Bessent told reporters that it was an “economic agreement” with Kyiv that would “further intertwine our economies”.
He noted that the Trump administration would “stand to the end [with Kyiv] by increasing our economic commitment”, which would “provide a long-term security shield for all Ukrainians” after the war with Russia ends.
However, one Ukrainian official who has seen the document told the FT that “there was nothing there about future US security guarantees”.
When asked whether the deal was disadvantageous to Ukraine, another official labelled it “a Trump deal”. “This is Trump dealmaking. It’s tough,” they added.
Kyiv’s main concern is that the agreement contains no link to broader security guarantees, according to three people familiar with the document.
Ukrainian officials have questioned how the deal would contribute to the country’s long-term security but received only a general response stating that it would ensure a US presence on Ukrainian territory.
Bessent, for his part, insisted that the mere presence of Americans guarding the mineral extraction sites would be a sufficient deterrent to Moscow.
Two sources said another controversial clause in the agreement was the provision stating that all disputes over mineral rights should be resolved in New York courts.
Meanwhile, a senior Ukrainian official told the Financial Times that Kyiv was “trying to negotiate a better deal”.
Read also: Trading metals for security: which resources interest Trump, and what can Ukraine offer?
Background:
- On 3 February, US President Donald Trump stated he was interested in concluding an agreement with Ukraine to obtain rare earth metals and other resources in exchange for arms supplies.
- Zelenskyy later noted that he planned to meet with senior US officials.
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