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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that the US had proposed a new critical mineral agreement for Kyiv that goes beyond an initial chords of the blocked frame last month as part of Donald Trump’s efforts to end Russia’s occupation in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy told reporters that he had not yet fully revised the proposal, but said he did not include the US increased involvement in the Ukrainian nuclear energy sector, which Trump suggested last week.
The Ukrainian President described the latest US proposal as a “big, inclusive agreement”.
The Financial Times reported on Friday that the Trump administration was seeking new conditions for US access to critical minerals and energy assets in Ukraine, and was thinking of expanding its economic demands in KYIV to potentially involve its nuclear institutions.
The US president has sought a mineral agreement to recover military aid worth billions of dollars offered to KyIw since the beginning of Russia’s full occupation in Ukraine in early 2022.
Washington has now proposed a mineral agreement that will bypass the previous phase of the framework and go directly to promote details of who owns and controls a common investment fund.
Zelenskyy said: “Previously, we had a framework agreement, followed by the development of a full agreement. Now, the US side has immediately proposed a grand deal.”
A US Treasury spokesman said: “The United States remains committed to the rapid completion of this vital agreement and to ensure sustainable peace for both Ukraine and Russia.”
The US refused to sign the initial critical mineral deal after a catastrophic blow to the White House that included Trump, vice president JD Vance and Zelenskyy. Washington responded briefly by stopping US military aid and sharing intelligence with Kyiv.
The original critical mineral agreement, blocked over two weeks in February, was intended to pave the way for further discussions about US security guarantees for Ukraine after the war with Russia had ended.
The White House has argued that security guarantees are natural in any critical mineral agreement because US economic investment in Ukraine would prevent Russia from attacking again.
Kyiv did not fully accept the argument and has requested further guarantees from the US, which he has not received so far.
While many details of the Mineral Agreement proposed by the US are unclear, with Ukrainian officials pointing to the multi -page document, they were facilitated that it did not require the submission of Nuclear Power Plants in the SH.BA
But officials worry that their efforts to secure a version of the original Trump administration agreement may now be lost, and be repealed by a proposal that includes greater economic demands.
A Ukrainian official known to the issue said that Washington had brought the nuclear issue to the discussions, but did not include it in the new proposal.
They did not exclude him from being part of future talks about the push of Trump to end Russian aggression in Ukraine.
There was confusion last week after a call between Trump and Zelenskyy after the US president said he had potentially discussed by taking control of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities.
Zelenskyy said both executives discussed only Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in South East Ukraine, which is currently under control of Russian forces.
