The US administration gave the authorities of Ukraine a new draft raw material agreement – the head of Ukrainian diplomacy Andriy Sybiha said on Tuesday. According to media reports, the new version is to give America extensive control over the operation, sales and profits from the operation of Ukrainian natural raw materials.
– I confirm that on March 28 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received diplomatic channels transferred by the American side a new text of the so -called mineral agreement – said Sybiha at a press conference in Kiev with his Lithuanian equivalent Kestusis Budrys.
The planned contract applies to the use of United States from deposits of Ukrainian mineral raw materials.
Andria SybihaPAP/EPA
“The first round of consultation has already been held”
As he emphasized, Ukraine It was already prepared to sign a framework agreement in this matter, but now the “proposal of development has come, and thus the new text of the contract”. At the same time, he noted that Ukraine would sign a document that would correspond to interests like Kiev, and Washington. “The first round of consultation has already taken place,” he explained.
The minister pointed out that Ukraine believes that the text of the contract, which provides for strengthening the presence of large American enterprises in his country, is also a contribution to the security of infrastructure in Ukraine.
– It is always important to strengthen the presence of American business in Ukraine. Therefore, this process will continue and we will cooperate with our American colleagues to achieve mutually acceptable text to sign – emphasized Sybiha.
US President Donald Trump He stated on Sunday that the President of Ukraine Wołodymyr Zelanski He was trying to withdraw from the raw material and warned that he was waiting for “great problems” if this happened.
Donald TrumpPAP/EPA
The United States was to demand renegotiations
According to reports, among others The Financial Times and Bloomberg agency, the United States demanded that the renegotiation of the previously agreed, but not signed text of the raw materials agreement has been agreed from Ukraine. The new version proposed by the US is to give America extensive control over the operation, sales and profits from the operation of Ukrainian natural raw materials.
According to Bloomberg, Ukraine will demand significant changes in this document, because its current form can threaten Kiev's aspirations to integrate with the European Union. In addition, the content of the document would suggest that Ukrainians must return the value of financial and military assistance to the United States, which Washington has given the authorities in Kiev from the beginning of the Russian military invasion on full -scale.
Originally, the contract was to be signed at the end of February, but then in the White House there was a quarrel with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelnski.
A quarrel in the oval office during the Trump meeting with ZelanskiPAP/EPA/JIM LO SCALZO/POOL
Source of the main photo: Viaqueslav_Petrusha/Shutterstock