The European Union, following the lead of the United States, has proposed that Ukraine sign an agreement on cooperation in the extraction of "critical" minerals. This was announced on February 24 by European Commissioner for Industrial Strategy, Stéphane Séjourné, as reported by Voice of America.
According to the European Commissioner, the EU’s approach to the potential deal is characterized by its offer of a mutually beneficial partnership with Ukraine. "We will never demand an agreement that is not advantageous for both sides," Séjourné emphasized.
He noted that Ukraine could provide the EU with 21 out of the 30 minerals critical for European industry.
Details of the EU's proposal are not yet known, and Ukrainian representatives have not commented on it. France Presse notes that the proposal emerged in the context of negotiations between Ukraine and the United States regarding the joint development of natural resources. These negotiations have been accompanied by a series of sharp statements at the highest level.
According to media reports, the United States proposed that Ukraine establish a $500 billion fund, into which revenues from the sale of rare earth metals and natural resources extracted in Ukraine would be deposited, with the fund under U.S. control. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky refused to sign the proposed version of the deal, which caused dissatisfaction from U.S. President Donald Trump. Negotiations have continued.
On February 24, Trump stated that the talks were nearing completion and that he was ready to sign the agreement during Zelensky’s visit to the White House. However, no official confirmation has been made that the deal is ready for signing. Ukraine continues to insist that the agreement must include security guarantees in the face of the russian threat. According to Trump, the very existence of the agreement serves as such a guarantee. He also considers the deal a form of compensation for the assistance the U.S. has provided to Ukraine over the past years. Kyiv, however, disagrees with Washington’s assessment of the scale of this assistance.
The russian dictator putin also commented on the matter, stating that moscow is willing to cooperate with the U.S. in the extraction of rare earth metals, including, as he implied, in russian-occupied Ukrainian territories. There has been no reaction to his remarks so far.
It was previously reported that the President of the European Council has expressed support for Ukraine without making any demands regarding natural resources.