The United States and Ukraine have agreed on the terms of a minerals deal, through which Kiev aims to buy US President Donald Trump's support in the war with Russia.
Sources quoted by Reuters news agency say the draft agreement does not specify any security guarantees for Ukraine or the continuation of arms supplies, but says the United States wants Ukraine to be free, sovereign and secure. According to one of the sources, future arms supplies are still being discussed between Kiev and Washington.
US President Donald Trump told reporters that Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky wants to go to Washington on Friday to sign a major deal: "I heard he's coming on Friday. Of course, I don't mind if he wants to. He wants to sign the deal with me and I understand because it's a big, very big deal. The American taxpayers are going to get their money back, and even more."
The agreement will allow America to access Ukraine's mineral resources. Sources familiar with the matter say it envisages the US and Ukraine setting up an Investment Fund for reconstruction and reinvesting revenues from subsurface assets, including minerals and hydrocarbons, A2 reports.
Ukraine would contribute 50% of its income to the fund until it reached $500 billion. The United States would provide a long-term financial commitment to the development of a “stable and economically prosperous Ukraine.” Zelensky refused to sign an earlier agreement as Washington sought rights to Kiev’s $500 billion in assets.
The latter protested that the amount of American aid had been smaller and that the draft agreement did not include security guarantees. The American president, who describes the deal as a repayment of billions of dollars that the US has poured into Ukraine, also said that peacekeeping troops are needed in Ukraine if an agreement to end the conflict is to be reached.
He said Moscow would accept such a concept, however the Kremlin denied the claims. (A2 Televizion)
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