Zelenskyy on minerals deal: The question is what Ukraine can give but what it can gain
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is interested in signing an agreement with the United States regarding the use of natural minerals, but only after the agreement is revised to reflect the country's key interests.
As reported by Ukrinform, Zelenskyy during an online press conference with Ukrainian journalists stated that there is nothing "fundamentally new" in the agreement – similar arrangements have existed at different times.
"But the key issue is not what can Ukraine give, but what it can gain... We are genuinely interested in signing the agreement with the United States," Ukrainian president said.
Zelenskyy emphasised that he had also told US President Donald Trump that "Ukraine wants to sign the agreement".
"But when we got into the details, it turned out that it currently doesn't include security guarantees. And this is a fundamentally important aspect that should at least be outlined in the memorandum," he pointed out.
Zelenskyy also noted that some details in the document may change over time, but fundamental aspects must be clearly defined.
For instance, Zelenskyy pointed out that if the document mentions security guarantees, they should be considered in the context of NATO or alternative mechanisms.
He emphasised that security guarantees are not just military assistance, but also economic and political commitments.
Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine welcomes investments from the US, but the key issue is not merely obtaining resources, but creating investments.
"Ukraine is not just a raw material country, and this must be clearly stated in the document," he added.
The Trump administration proposed that Ukraine grant the US 50% ownership of the country's rare-earth minerals, but Zelenskyy refused to sign the document. The White House described this decision as "short-sighted".
On 12 February, Scott Bessent, US Secretary of the Treasury, arrived in Kyiv to discuss economic partnership with Ukraine. Zelenskyy later stated that the United States had handed Kyiv the first draft of a "partnership agreement" that would provide for investment in Ukraine's mineral resources in exchange for further aid.
On 14 February, a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US Vice President JD Vance in Munich was postponed to give the US the opportunity to work on the partnership memorandum, which Ukraine had finalised and handed over to the Americans.