Could US favor Russia in minerals deals? Presidential Office responds
Photo: Mykhailo Podolyak, Advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
The United States of America will not sign a minerals deal with Russia, as both countries are competitors, stated by Mykhailo Podolyak, Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, in a comment to the YouTube channel RBC-Ukraine.
According to Podolyak, Ukraine, unlike Russia, is interested in a strategic partnership with the USA. Currently, discussions around the agreement are ongoing at various levels.
The Advisor noted that the agreement with the USA is beneficial for both parties. Kyiv needs technologies, developments of a different level, access to global markets without intermediaries, and investments. Washington, in turn, can achieve significant growth in its competitive share in relevant global markets.
"And now I turn to Russia. Russia is a direct competitor in these markets at the global level. And Russia will definitely not give the USA something that will significantly increase the USA's influence in the relevant industries. We are talking about aerospace, telecommunications, and so on. Russia, through these instruments, wants to have significant influence on global markets," he explained.
Podolyak noted that for Russia, the primary importance is not personal financial gain, but the preservation and strengthening of geopolitical influence. Vladimir Putin will never agree to lose global dominance, even for the sake of additional billions in profits, as maintaining his image is more important to him.
"Because this is not the goal for which Putin started this war (against Ukraine, - ed.). He wants dominance. He wants his own rules. And when you give away, as a junior partner, a share in your business, it means you have lost. Putin will not agree to this," Podolyak noted.
Minerals deal
Kyiv and the US had planned to sign the agreement on 28 February, but due to a dispute in the Oval Office, this did not happen. Later, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Washington had offered Ukraine a new major deal on rare earth metals.
At the same time, MP Yaroslav Zheleznyk noted that the new agreement is more of a commercial nature and significantly restricts Ukraine's rights.
Recently, Trump said that Zelenskyy allegedly wants to refuse the minerals deal.
