US and Ukraine agreement on access to minerals. What we know about the agreement

Representatives of the Ukrainian government stated that They are ready to sign a contract with the USA on joint development of mineral resources, including oil and gas, after United States They withdrew from their demands regarding the right to $ 500 billion of potential revenues from the operation of these resources. This point was most likely the most disputed in Ukraine's agreement with the USA on access to mineral resources.

– Indeed, we managed to achieve good changes for Ukraine. We consider it a positive result – said a representative of the government in Kiev (his name was not given) the Ukrainian BBC section. The interlocutor from the surroundings of President Volodymyr Zelanski in turn added that “now the terms of the contract are much more favorable for Ukraine.”

Read more: Ukraine and the USA a step away from the agreement? Media reports and commentary by Donald Trump

According to the New York Times, the draft agreement discussed – in addition to the fact that it no longer concluded US demands on the right to $ 500 billion of potential revenues from the operation of Ukrainian resources, and did not include a provision obliging Ukraine to return the USA to reimbursement of the amount of assistance, granted in time Russian armed invasion. “New York Times” noted that “Ukrainians began to feel more comfortable after the Americans gave up some of the most burdensome conditions.”

President Donald Trump He repeated many times that “the United States spent $ 350 billion on war in Ukraine.” “These data significantly exceed the amounts actually issued,” the Ukrainian Section of the Głos America was previously noted.

The final version of the contract included a provision, according to which a fund will be created, to which Ukraine will pay 50 percent of income from the “future monetization” of its mineral resources, including oil and gas, and related logistics. The fund would invest in projects in Ukraine.

According to the New York Times, the United States will have a maximum financial share in the fund, allowed by American law.

In the agreement, there is no reference to American security guarantees at which Kiev initially insisted in exchange for permission to conclude the contract. The key issues of the contract, such as the size of the US participation in the Fund and the terms of the agreement on the joint development of mineral resources, must be resolved in subsequent documents – the Ukrainian section of Radio Swoboda said.

The New York Times also noted that Zelanski has repeatedly pressed for security guarantees for his country in exchange for access to minerals, but the projects of contracts reviewed by journalists of this journal did not include the provisions that the US would undertake to grant such guarantees.

According to the findings of the Ukrainian Truth portal, the agreement was removed from the provision, according to which the United States would receive 100 % control over the fund, to which income from the development of Ukrainian natural resources would be transferred to the development of the development of Ukrainian. This record was in the previous version of the document, which Kyiv found unacceptable.

The joint participation of Ukraine and the United States in the Fund is to be calculated on the basis of the actual contributions of these countries.

The new version of the contract also does not include that investments in Ukraine should be at least doubled with each invested dollar – wrote Ukrainian truth.

According to Ukrainian and European media, the contract may be signed in the United States this Friday. “New York Times” wrote that they would sign it as the first secretary of the US Treasury Scott Bessent and his Ukrainian counterpart Serhij Marczenko. Later, the president is to go to Washington Wołodymyr Zelanskito sign it with Donald Trump.

According to a study conducted by the Kiev Economic School, Ukraine controls over 100 main mineral deposits. These list includes: titanium, lithium, uranium, graphite, beryl, manganese.

Titanium is used in construction, aircraft, orthopedic implants and as an addition to paints and cosmetics, including sunscreen. According to the Ukrainian media, titanium mines in central Ukraine are responsible for about six percent of world production – noted the New York Times.

Uranus is used in nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons. Ukraine has the greatest uranium reserves in Europe.

Lit is a key element in batteries, including electric vehicles, as well as other industrial products, including medicines. Ukraine has one third of the total lithium reserves in Europe, although some areas where this raw material is located are located in the areas covered by armed conflicts. Before the war with Russia Ukrainian officials suggested to Elon Musk to invest in Ukrainian lithium mines – reminded the American daily.