🇺🇦 What Happened?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky refused to sign an agreement with the United States regarding Ukrainian rare-earth minerals. According to the document, the United States could have obtained 50% of Ukraine’s mineral reserves, but there were no security guarantees for Ukraine in it.
This information emerged after Zelensky’s meeting with American lawmakers during the Munich Security Conference. The Washington Post and NBC News were the first to report on this, citing their own sources.
📜 What Did the Agreement Contain?
According to The Washington Post journalist Josh Rogin, the document was presented by US Ambassador Bridget Brink before the visit of US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Kyiv. Meanwhile, according to NBC News, Bessent himself handed the draft agreement to the Ukrainian president.
The document contained the following key points:
🔹 The US would receive 50% rights to extract Ukrainian minerals.
🔹 The agreement lacked specific security guarantees for Ukraine.
🔹 The US left open the question of the possibility of deploying troops to protect the mines, but only in the event of a ceasefire with Russia.
🛑 Why Did Zelensky Refuse?
The Ukrainian president decided not to sign the agreement and took time for its detailed analysis and consultations. The main reason for refusal was that the document did not provide any security guarantees for Ukraine.
Amid the ongoing conflict with Russia, Ukraine cannot afford economic cooperation without proper military or security protection. The extraction of rare-earth minerals is strategically important, and the issue of control over them directly affects national security.
🌍 Geopolitical Context
Ukraine has significant reserves of strategic minerals that are critically important for the production of electronics, military technologies, and “green” energy. Therefore, the interest of the USA in Ukrainian resources is quite justified.
However, the conditions under which cooperation was proposed raised legitimate concerns:
⚠️ Why were there no security guarantees in the agreement?
⚠️ Could this deal be used as a basis for political pressure on Ukraine?
⚠️ What long-term risks did it create for Ukraine’s economic independence?
❓ What’s Next?
It is currently unknown whether negotiations between Ukraine and the USA will be continued, and whether the terms of the agreement will be reviewed. The Ukrainian side will likely demand the inclusion of security guarantees and more favorable conditions for the country.
This situation demonstrates that Kyiv is playing a tough political game and not accepting unfavorable proposals, even if they come from strategic partners.
