Negotiations on New Agreement Between Ukraine and the USA

The US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that a Ukrainian delegation will visit the USA within the next few days to sign an updated version of the resource extraction agreement.

Following rumors about the new agreement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized he would not travel to the USA until the terms were clearly defined, as they are 'often changing.'

Bessent noted that the Ukrainian side has likely engaged legal assistance and that the new draft of the agreement is largely similar to the previous one, encompassing revenues from both public and private sectors.

"I am confident that the team from Ukraine may arrive here at the end of this week or the beginning of next week. They seem to have already found a lawyer," Bessent said, adding that a four-page document will be signed. He also recalled the significant meeting at the White House between Zelensky and Trump, emphasizing that the new agreement is a continuation of previous arrangements.

"We intend to sign an agreement that is the result of our discussions following the incident at the White House," he stated.

Updated Agreement

According to reports, the USA demands more resources and revenues than were previously anticipated, including veto rights for American officials, which has raised concerns in Kyiv.

Kyiv seeks to amend the agreement to attract more American investments, and the Trump administration is reportedly open to discussing some changes to the terms of the deal.

According to information provided by Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak, the following changes have been made to the new agreement:

Scope of the Agreement – the new version includes a broader range of minerals and all revenues from both sectors.

Payment Terms – revenues must be converted into foreign currency immediately upon extraction and used to repay American aid to Ukraine.

Indefiniteness – the duration of the agreement is not specified and can only be altered by the USA.

Joint Fund Management – the fund will be managed by a council of five members, of which three will be appointed by the USA.

The new version of the agreement does not mention any security guarantees, which Kyiv had insisted upon, although Trump previously claimed that economic interests should serve as a deterrent against aggression.

However, significant American investments did not prevent Moscow's invasion in 2022.