Financial Times: Ukrainian mines are in exchange for US aid, not the future

Ukrainian President Washington has rejected Washington’s proposal to seize about 2 percent of his country’s rare earth mineral rights and is better off trying to negotiate for a deal, according to ISNA.

According to acquaintances with US -Ukraine negotiations, Zelksky wants US -European security guarantees directly to any transaction on mineral reserves. He is also eager for other countries, including the EU countries, to participate in the exploitation of future natural resources.

“We are still talking,” Zelksky said in Munich. I have had different negotiations. This is not in our favor today. In the interest of Ukraine, it is not independent to agree to the US agreement as it exists.

A senior Ukrainian official told the Financial Times that Kiev is better trying to negotiate for an agreement.

On his visit to the presidential office in Kiev, the US Treasury Secretary made a document that Trump signed from Zelkski before his return to Washington. Speaking to reporters, Bosun described it as a “economic agreement” with Kiev for “most of our economies” before he and Zelksky talk about the deal privately.

Treasury Minister Scott Bosent said the Trump administration “stands up for our economic commitment to the end (with Kiev” to “provide a long -term security shield for all Ukrainians after the end of the war with Russia.”

Another Ukrainian official told the Financial Times: “When we looked at the details, there was nothing (about the future security guarantees of the United States).”

The third Ukrainian official, who is familiar with the proposal, responded to the question of whether this is a bad deal for Ukraine, said it was a Trump agreement. “This is Trump’s deal,” the official said. It’s hard. “

According to three people who have reviewed the offer, Ukraine’s main concern is the lack of a wider connection to security guarantees. Ukrainian officials asked how the agreement would help their country’s long -term security, but they were only told that the US presence on Ukraine was guaranteed – a vague answer that left key questions unanswered.

Basin argued that the only presence of Americans was enough to protect the mineral reserves for Moscow’s deterrence. According to two familiar people, another challenging case is that the document states that New York is a jurisdiction where disputes are resolved by mineral rights.

One of Zelksky’s close relatives said Bridget Brink, the US ambassador, had provided him with a document that contains the offer shortly before Bosen’s arrival in Kiev, without prior notice. The person said that Kiev believed that the proposal would be applicable by New York’s law.

According to the person, the document that Brink shared was the same document that Basin later gave to Zelnski. The title was “Draft from February 1”. Zelksky’s team was told that he was due to sign it on Wednesday during the match.

One of Zelksky’s relatives said Ukraine supports the concept of Ukrainian resource exchange for future security. They added, but the US proposal only points to past aid, not the future, and an official international binding agreement is the only way to ensure the rights and interests of both parties.

Zelksky told reporters after meeting that he would review the offer but would not sign anything at the time. “We will review this document and work quickly to ensure our teams reach the agreement,” Zelksky said. America is our strategic partner and we are committed to finalizing the details.

After the meeting, Bosun said that Trump wants the deal. “I believe that this document is important from President Trump’s point of view to resolve the conflict as soon as possible,” he said. We will provide guarantees to the Ukrainian people to help the US. I believe this is a very strong signal for Russia about our intentions. “Zelnsky said he wants to discuss more at the Munich Security Conference on the outlook for the Mineral Rights Agreement.”

On Friday, during a meeting with US Vice President JD Venus in Munich, he made a reciprocal offer that also talked to US lawmakers on the sidelines of the assembly. In a speech in Munich on Friday, Zelksky said his legal team will review the document presented in Kiev to provide consultations and suggest possible changes. He described it as a note between the United States and Ukraine instead of a formal security agreement.

A European official said during the meetings that Zelksky did not sign the deal because it wants to contribute to the extraction of others, including European countries. “They are under severe Americans,” the official said. The United States’s proposal is in line with the “victory plan” that Zelnsky’s team has been deepening last summer to deepen relations with the Trump administration by allowing the United States to access vital minerals used in advanced technology industries. “

Ukraine has precious minerals that are estimated at several trillion dollars, including lithium, titanium and graphite, all of which are crucial to the production of high -tech products. But many of these sources are in areas that are either occupied by Russia or are at risk of occupying the Kremlin’s progressive forces because they are near the front lines in eastern Ukraine.

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