Ukraine sees new US proposal on minerals deal as 'lifetime reparations'
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (facebook.com zelenskyy.official)
The United States' new proposal regarding the minerals deal has raised concerns among Ukrainian officials. They compared the terms to "lifetime reparations," informs The Washington Post.
According to The Washington Post, the new US proposal significantly alters the terms previously discussed in the minerals deal with Ukraine. Ukrainian officials note that the document fails to provide sufficient security guarantees. They also note that US demands for access to Ukraine's natural resources could lead to new tensions between the two countries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously informed reporters that a new proposal had been received from Washington on Friday. This proposal follows a previous document received by Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Svyrydenko stated that the new agreement was "entirely different" from the earlier framework deal and included provisions that were not discussed before.
The WP notes that earlier this week, National Security Council spokesperson James Hewitt said the "the mineral deal offers Ukraine the opportunity to form an enduring economic relationship with the United States that is the basis for long-term security and peace."
However, judging by the reaction of Ukrainian lawmakers and officials, swift approval seems unlikely.
One anonymous senior official said the new draft agreement seems as if "Ukraine was in the war with US, lost, was captured and now has to pay lifetime reparations."
Deal on rare earth minerals
Ukraine and the United States were supposed to sign a framework agreement on rare earth minerals in February. However, on February 28, a dispute occurred between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US leader Donald Trump at the White House, and the agreement was never signed.
It has recently been revealed that Washington has submitted a new draft agreement to Kyiv regarding mineral resources. However, Zelenskyy emphasized that while the earlier discussions focused on a framework agreement, this now concerns a full-fledged deal, which the Ukrainian Parliament must ratify.
Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that the US had prepared a "full-fledged" version of the minerals deal for Ukraine. He stated that the agreement could be concluded next week.
At the same time, Member of Parliament Yaroslav Zheleznyak commented to RBC-Ukraine, saying that the new rare earth metals deal between Ukraine and the US is more commercial in nature and significantly restricts Ukraine's rights.
