Ukraine is ready to sign an agreement with the United States on the use of its natural resources, but only after it is finalized and after taking into account key Ukrainian interests, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said during an online press conference in Abu Dhabi, Ukrinform reported, quoted by BTA.
"There is nothing fundamentally new in this agreement, in this direction or in the very desire to conclude such an agreement – such agreements have existed at one time or another. However, the key question now is not what Ukraine can give, but what it can get… We are really interested in signing an agreement with the United States. I also said this to President Donald Trump: Ukraine wants to sign the agreement. Having moved on to the details, however, it turned out that at the moment this agreement does not contain security guarantees. And this is a fundamentally important aspect that should at least be outlined in the memorandum“, Zelensky pointed out.
According to him, some details in the document may change over time, but the basics should be clearly defined. For example, if the document mentions security guarantees, it is worth considering them in the context of NATO or alternative mechanisms. According to Zelensky, security guarantees are not only military assistance, but also economic and political commitments.
"As for our army - if Ukraine is not currently a member of NATO, then we must create our own security system in a similar way to the alliance. And this should not be just a concept, but concrete steps. "This requires funding, weapons and investments," the Ukrainian head of state noted.
Zelensky stressed that Ukraine welcomes US investments, but the key issue is not just to acquire resources, but to create investments.
"Ukraine is not just a country with raw materials, and this should be clearly spelled out in the document", he insisted.
Recently, Zelensky said that the agreement with the US on the use of Ukraine's natural resources is not yet ready for signing, Ukrinform recalls.
The Ukrainian president also renewed his call for the deployment of European peacekeeping forces in his country, DPA reported.
"I believe that we have made significant progress on the issue of the contingent," Zelensky said at the end of his visit to the United Arab Emirates.
The deployment of peacekeeping forces on the territory of Ukraine could be a first step towards the creation of a European army, he added.
"I believe that this is the first platform for the future armed forces of Europe, which will be able to retaliate in the event of an unprovoked war by Russia“, the Ukrainian head of state stressed. A platform of "strong countries“ that want to participate is possible in this context, Zelensky pointed out. "This is very important. Not those that we force, but those that want“, the Ukrainian president said.