Zelenskyy: US-Ukraine mineral resource talks ended on positive note

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that negotiations between the Ukrainian and US teams on a mineral resources agreement last week were positive.

Zelenskyy noted at a press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Odesa that the talks took place at the technical level and ended positively. "For now, both sides concluded the meeting on a positive note," he said.

He added that further online and in-person discussions would continue until the end of the week.

Following these consultations, both sides are expected to present what they have developed.

On 11 April US and Ukrainian officials met to discuss Washington’s proposal to access Ukraine’s mineral resources. However, media reports say prospects for a breakthrough were minimal due to what was described as an "antagonistic" atmosphere.

During the technical consultations in Washington, the Ukrainian delegation submitted Kyiv’s proposals to the US side.

Earlier, European Pravda reported that the administration of US President Donald Trump had returned to the version of the subsoil agreement a requirement for Ukraine to reimburse all the assistance that the US provided after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.