KYIV, Feb 26 (Reuters) – Ukraine announced on Wednesday that it has reached a “preliminary” agreement to share revenue from certain mineral resources with the United States. This announcement comes before President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s scheduled trip to Washington on Friday.
The agreement is pivotal for Ukraine’s efforts to secure strong support from the U.S. administration as it seeks a swift resolution to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Parallel U.S.-Russian talks, excluding Kyiv, are set to continue on Thursday.
“The main thing for me is we are not debtors. There is no $500 billion debt in the agreement, nor $350, nor $100 billion because that would be unfair,” Zelenskiy stated during a news briefing regarding the agreement.
The agreement is being framed as a form of repayment for billions in aid provided to Kyiv during the conflict. Zelenskiy has sought security guarantees in exchange for the mineral rights, though it remains uncertain if these demands have been met.
“This agreement is part of our larger agreements with the United States. This agreement could be part of future security guarantees… an agreement is an agreement, but we need to understand the broader vision,” Zelenskiy said.
“This deal could be a great success or it could pass quietly. And the big success depends on our conversation” with the U.S. head of state.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal indicated that Washington will commit to backing Kyiv’s pursuit of security guarantees under the final agreement. However, no direct security pledges were offered by the U.S.
While discussions on the mineral deal progress, Washington and Moscow have initiated bilateral talks. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Thursday’s talks in Istanbul will focus on resolving bilateral disputes, considered vital for ending the conflict.
The U.S. head of state told reporters on Tuesday that Zelenskiy wished to visit Washington on Friday to sign a “very big deal.”
Shmyhal confirmed that the Ukrainian government will authorize the agreed text later on Wednesday for signing, describing it as a “preliminary” agreement.
“After the Ukrainian president and the U.S. president agree on security guarantees, agree on how we tie this preliminary agreement to security guarantees from the United States for our country, in the presence of (both) presidents, a representative of the Ukrainian government will sign this preliminary agreement,” he said.
A draft agreement, dated February 25 and seen by Reuters, states: “The Government of the United States of America supports Ukraine’s efforts to obtain security guarantees needed to establish lasting peace.”
