Monday, 10 March, 2025
Ukraine announced on Wednesday that it is poised to approve a framework agreement with the United States concerning its mineral resources, but emphasized that the deal's success hinges on negotiations with President Donald Trump.
Under the proposed deal, Kyiv would allocate a portion of its revenue from mineral resources to a fund jointly managed by the United States. This agreement is pivotal for Ukraine’s efforts to secure robust support from Trump as he pushes for a swift resolution to the ongoing war with Russia. Talks between the US and Russia, which have notably excluded Ukraine, are scheduled to resume on Thursday, news agency reports said.
Trump confirmed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would visit Washington on Friday, though he suggested that the United States would not offer broad security guarantees. Ukraine has been seeking such guarantees as part of the deal, which Trump has framed as compensation for the US aid provided to Kyiv during the conflict.
"I'm not going to make security guarantees beyond - very much. We're going to have Europe do that," Trump said, without elaborating.
Zelensky said the most important thing was that the current draft did not cast Ukraine as a debtor that would have to pay back hundreds of billions of dollars for past military assistance.
"This agreement could be part of future security guarantees... an agreement is an agreement, but we need to understand the broader vision," he said in Kyiv.
"This deal could be a great success or it could pass quietly. And the big success depends on our conversation with President Trump."
He said it would be a success if the US becomes a provider of security guarantees for Ukraine, which wants protection from future Russian attacks if a peace deal is reached.
Fighting has continued in Ukraine during the flurry of diplomacy, with Ukraine frequently coming under attack from Russian missiles and drones in Europe's deadliest conflict since World War Two.
Questions Surround Washington Trip
On Tuesday, Trump stated that Zelensky planned to visit Washington on Friday to sign a "very big deal." However, Zelensky clarified that both sides were still working to finalize the arrangements for the visit. A White House official raised doubts on Wednesday about whether the trip would proceed, but Trump reaffirmed that Zelensky would indeed visit on Friday.
Trump has been sharply critical of Zelensky, accusing him of undermining US policy on the war, labeling him a "dictator," and disrupting a campaign to isolate Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 12, and a Russian-US meeting was held in Saudi Arabia on February 18. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that Russian and US diplomats would meet in Istanbul on Thursday to discuss resolving bilateral disputes, a part of a broader dialogue both sides consider crucial for ending the war in Ukraine.
Lavrov also reiterated Russia's refusal to allow European peacekeepers in Ukraine, although Trump has suggested the need for peacekeeping troops if a peace agreement is reached. Lavrov remarked, "Nobody has asked us about this," during a visit to Qatar.
'Preliminary' Agreement
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed that Washington would support Ukraine’s efforts to secure security guarantees under the final agreement, though no US security pledges were made. Shmyhal added that Ukraine's government had approved the terms of the deal to move forward, describing it as a "preliminary" agreement.
"Once the Ukrainian president and the US president agree on security guarantees, and how to link this preliminary agreement to US security assurances for our country, a representative of the Ukrainian government will sign this preliminary agreement in the presence of both presidents," Shmyhal explained.
To reassure anxious Ukrainians, Shmyhal emphasized, "Ukraine will never sign or consider any colonial treaty that overlooks the interests of the state."
A draft agreement, dated February 25, viewed by Reuters, states: "The Government of the United States of America supports Ukraine's efforts to obtain security guarantees necessary to establish lasting peace."
Shmyhal elaborated that Kyiv would contribute 50% of all proceeds from the monetization of its state-owned natural resources and relevant infrastructure into a joint fund managed by both Ukraine and the US. He clarified that no decisions regarding the fund's governance would be made without Kyiv’s consent, and existing assets would not be discussed in the creation of the fund.
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Ukraine announced on Wednesday that it is poised to approve a framework agreement with the United States concerning its mineral resources, but emphasized that the deal's success hinges on negotiations with President Donald Trump.
Under the proposed deal, Kyiv would allocate a portion of its revenue from mineral resources to a fund jointly managed by the United States. This agreement is pivotal for Ukraine’s efforts to secure robust support from Trump as he pushes for a swift resolution to the ongoing war with Russia. Talks between the US and Russia, which have notably excluded Ukraine, are scheduled to resume on Thursday, news agency reports said.
Trump confirmed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would visit Washington on Friday, though he suggested that the United States would not offer broad security guarantees. Ukraine has been seeking such guarantees as part of the deal, which Trump has framed as compensation for the US aid provided to Kyiv during the conflict.
"I'm not going to make security guarantees beyond - very much. We're going to have Europe do that," Trump said, without elaborating.
Zelensky said the most important thing was that the current draft did not cast Ukraine as a debtor that would have to pay back hundreds of billions of dollars for past military assistance.
"This agreement could be part of future security guarantees... an agreement is an agreement, but we need to understand the broader vision," he said in Kyiv.
"This deal could be a great success or it could pass quietly. And the big success depends on our conversation with President Trump."
He said it would be a success if the US becomes a provider of security guarantees for Ukraine, which wants protection from future Russian attacks if a peace deal is reached.
Fighting has continued in Ukraine during the flurry of diplomacy, with Ukraine frequently coming under attack from Russian missiles and drones in Europe's deadliest conflict since World War Two.
Questions Surround Washington Trip
On Tuesday, Trump stated that Zelensky planned to visit Washington on Friday to sign a "very big deal." However, Zelensky clarified that both sides were still working to finalize the arrangements for the visit. A White House official raised doubts on Wednesday about whether the trip would proceed, but Trump reaffirmed that Zelensky would indeed visit on Friday.
Trump has been sharply critical of Zelensky, accusing him of undermining US policy on the war, labeling him a "dictator," and disrupting a campaign to isolate Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 12, and a Russian-US meeting was held in Saudi Arabia on February 18. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that Russian and US diplomats would meet in Istanbul on Thursday to discuss resolving bilateral disputes, a part of a broader dialogue both sides consider crucial for ending the war in Ukraine.
Lavrov also reiterated Russia's refusal to allow European peacekeepers in Ukraine, although Trump has suggested the need for peacekeeping troops if a peace agreement is reached. Lavrov remarked, "Nobody has asked us about this," during a visit to Qatar.
'Preliminary' Agreement
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed that Washington would support Ukraine’s efforts to secure security guarantees under the final agreement, though no US security pledges were made. Shmyhal added that Ukraine's government had approved the terms of the deal to move forward, describing it as a "preliminary" agreement.
"Once the Ukrainian president and the US president agree on security guarantees, and how to link this preliminary agreement to US security assurances for our country, a representative of the Ukrainian government will sign this preliminary agreement in the presence of both presidents," Shmyhal explained.
To reassure anxious Ukrainians, Shmyhal emphasized, "Ukraine will never sign or consider any colonial treaty that overlooks the interests of the state."
A draft agreement, dated February 25, viewed by Reuters, states: "The Government of the United States of America supports Ukraine's efforts to obtain security guarantees necessary to establish lasting peace."
Shmyhal elaborated that Kyiv would contribute 50% of all proceeds from the monetization of its state-owned natural resources and relevant infrastructure into a joint fund managed by both Ukraine and the US. He clarified that no decisions regarding the fund's governance would be made without Kyiv’s consent, and existing assets would not be discussed in the creation of the fund.
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