Ukraine and the United States have held the first round of negotiations on a new agreement on mineral resources. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry received the text of the US proposal on 28 March, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha announced at a briefing in response to a question from Suspilne.
Ukraine was ready to sign the previously developed framework agreement. Now, the state is reviewing the new proposed agreement in accordance with its legislation.
“Accordingly, the necessary procedures have been carried out to begin the required domestic review. I also confirm that we have already started consultations with the US side on the text of the agreement,” the minister said.
Ukraine is committed to reaching an agreement that aligns with both parties’ interests.
New minerals agreement
- Last week, MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak, citing his own sources, published details of the US proposal for a minerals agreement. The document contained provisions that, in the MP’s opinion, were unfavourable to Ukraine.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the US had changed its approach, shifting from a framework agreement to a full agreement. Later, he clarified that the version received by the President’s Office differed from the document sent to the Cabinet of Ministers.
- The government confirmed receipt of the new document but noted that it was a working version and that Ukraine would formulate its own proposals.
- The initial framework agreement, which envisaged the creation of a joint investment fund, was supposed to be signed in February. However, after a dispute in the Oval Office, Washington did not return to the issue of signing.