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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is reluctant to sign an agreement that would grant the United States preferential access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, according to a Ukrainian source speaking to AFP.
US President Donald Trump has pushed for the deal, arguing that Ukraine should provide access to its natural resources as a form of compensation for the billions of dollars in aid given under the administration of his predecessor, Joe Biden.
US Pushes for Agreement While Ukraine Seeks Changes
Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser, stated on Friday that he expected Zelensky to sign the agreement soon. However, details of the proposed deal have not been disclosed publicly.
A Ukrainian source close to the matter told AFP on Saturday that Zelensky is not ready to accept the agreement in its current form. “In the form in which the draft is now, the president is not ready to accept, we are still trying to make changes and add constructiveness,” the source stated.
Ukraine’s Concerns Over the Deal
According to the source, one of Ukraine’s major concerns is the lack of clear commitments from the United States regarding guarantees or investments.
“There are no American obligations in the agreement regarding guarantees or investments, everything about them is very vague, and they want to extract $500 billion from us,” the source claimed.
The source further questioned the nature of the proposed partnership, adding, “What kind of partnership is this? … And why do we have to give $500 billion, there is no answer.”
Ukraine has proposed amendments to the agreement, emphasizing the need for security guarantees from the US in exchange for access to its valuable natural resources and critical minerals.
