US presents Ukraine with draft agreement on natural resources – Zelenskyy
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
The US has presented Ukraine with a draft agreement on natural resources, which could be finalized at the Munich Security Conference, stated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy said he had just held productive and constructive talks with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and received the first draft of a potential natural resources agreement.
"I know that our team has received the first draft agreement from the United States on a partnership between our countries. I want our team to review this document, and we will do everything to study and sign it as soon as possible," Zelenskyy said.
He added that the agreement could be reached at the Munich Security Conference later this week.
"The United States is our key partner. We will do everything to review all the details of the document in time for the Munich Conference because we do not want to waste time," he noted.
According to Zelenskyy, discussions did not include natural resources in Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia.
As previously reported by The New York Post, Ukraine had "essentially agreed" to provide the US with $500 billion worth of rare earth metals as payment for military aid received from Washington.
Zelenskyy also emphasized the importance of protecting Ukrainian territory from Russian forces not only from a security perspective but also financially. Otherwise, he said, valuable minerals, including rare earth elements, will go to Russia for free.
