GuShiio.com ① The Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine said on Tuesday that he has reached an agreement with the United States to develop mining and other resources;
② Trump’s “$500 billion in gains” were eventually abandoned by the United States;
③ Zelensky may visit the United States in the next few weeks and sign an agreement with Trump.
Cailian News, February 26 (Editor Shi Zhengcheng)Ukraine Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Orha Stevanishina told the media on Tuesday,Ukraine has reached an agreement with the United States on cooperation in developing minerals, oil, natural gas and other resourcesI hope this can improve the relationship between the two governments.
According to the official who led the negotiations,As the United States abandons its strict requirement to prioritize ensuring “US$500 billion” in development revenue, Ukraine is ready to sign the contract.
According to documents obtained by the media, the version date of the final agreement is February 24. The United States and Ukraine will set up special funds,The Ukraine government will inject 50% of the proceeds from the “future monetization” of state-owned mineral resources into the fund to invest in domestic development projects。
Compared with the initial request, the United States has given up its priority right to retain US$500 billion (approximately RMB 3.6 trillion) in potential gains and agreed that the fund will give priority to supporting Ukraine’s economic development.
It is reported thatIn the Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund originally requested by the Trump administration, the United States must have “100% financial interests,” while Ukraine needs to contribute 50% of its revenue from mineral resources, oil, natural gas exploration and related facilities to the fund, with a cap of US$500 billion。Ukraine officials called it an “unacceptable clause” and it was removed from the final draft.
At the same time, the agreement also explicitly excludes existing oil and gas projects that have generated profits, which means that the existing economic activities of Ukraine’s state-owned oil and gas companies will not be included in the agreement.
Uzbekistan said that the agreement has been approved by the Ministers of Justice, Economy and Foreign Affairs,Zelensky is expected to travel to the White House in the coming weeks to hold a signing ceremony with Trump。The relationship between the two has been very tense recently due to negotiations on mineral development in Ukraine-of course, the core reason is still Trump’s exorbitant asking price. The U.S. president’s view of mining cooperation as a means for Ukraine to repay U.S. military and financial aid since 2022 has shocked and angered Ukraine and Europe.
After Zelensky rejected the original text last week, Trump launched a series of public criticisms of the Ukraine president.
Judging from reports on Tuesday, due to the fact that there are quite a number of “blank spaces” in key details in the agreement, it is not ruled out that Trump will continue to “put pressure” on Zelensky in the next few weeks.
example,The agreement did not include the U.S. security guarantees originally requested by Ukraine。Key issues such as the U.S. shareholding ratio in the fund (how to divide the money) and joint development details will also be left to subsequent negotiations to determine. Ukraine officials said the current agreement is only a framework and there will be no transfer of income until the fund is in place.
According to media reports, Ukraine officials believe that as Trump gets the deal he wants, Zelensky will get the opportunity to discuss a “larger situation” with the US president. “Only then can we think about what to do next,” the official said.
Although the agreement has been approved by the government of Ukraine, it still needs to be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) for review. Opposition lawmakers have stated that they will hold a heated debate on sovereignty transfer risks and revenue distribution mechanisms.
According to the latest reports, U.S. President Trump also said on Tuesday that he had basically reached an agreement with Ukraine on mineral issues. The U.S. president also responded to the rumors and said: I heard that Zelensky will come on Friday. If Zelensky is willing to come, I have no objection.
