Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Tuesday that the United States has proposed a significant new deal regarding critical minerals, expanding upon an initial agreement made last month. This development is part of efforts by Donald Trump to address the ongoing conflict caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Zelenskyy mentioned to reporters that he hasn’t gone through the proposal completely yet but clarified that it does not call for increased US involvement in Ukraine’s nuclear energy sector, a suggestion made by Trump last week.
The latest proposal from the US is characterized by Zelenskyy as a “large, comprehensive agreement.” Reports indicate that the Trump administration is looking to establish new terms for US access to Ukraine’s mineral resources and energy assets and is considering increasing its economic demands, which could potentially involve Ukraine’s nuclear power facilities.
This new minerals deal aims to recover billions of dollars in military aid provided to Ukraine since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion in early 2022. Instead of starting from the initial framework, Washington has opted to directly dive into the details surrounding the ownership and control of a joint investment fund.
Zelenskyy noted, “Earlier, we had a framework agreement followed by a detailed agreement. Now, the American side has suggested a comprehensive deal right away.” A spokesperson for the US Treasury stated that the US remains dedicated to reaching a quick conclusion on this essential agreement to achieve a lasting peace for Ukraine and Russia.
The US had previously refrained from signing the initial critical minerals agreement following a tumultuous meeting in the White House involving Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Zelenskyy. This disagreement briefly led to a suspension of US military support and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
The original minerals deal negotiated over two weeks in February was intended to lay the groundwork for ongoing discussions about security guarantees from the US for Ukraine after the conflict with Russia came to a close. The White House maintains that security assurances are inherent in any critical minerals agreement, arguing that US economic investment in Ukraine would discourage Russia from future aggressions.
However, Ukraine has yet to fully accept this argument and continues to seek additional assurances from the US, which have not been forthcoming. Although many aspects of the new minerals deal remain unclear, Ukrainian officials are carefully examining the extensive document and are relieved that it does not demand the transfer of nuclear power plants to the US.
Yet, there are concerns among officials that their attempts to secure a version of the original agreement might now be overshadowed by proposals imposing higher economic demands. One Ukrainian official revealed that while the nuclear issue was raised in discussions, it was not included in the new proposal, leaving it open for further negotiations related to Trump’s efforts to end Russian actions in Ukraine.
Last week, there was some confusion following a call between Trump and Zelenskyy, during which Trump mentioned discussions about potentially taking control of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities. Zelenskyy clarified that their conversation only covered the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, currently under Russian control.