The planned deal between the US and Ukraine for the use of rare earth minerals does not contain military guarantees for Kiev. This was announced by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
„I expect President Zelensky to sign the deal. It does not include military guarantees. But it does include guarantees for active investment by the United States in the economic future of Ukraine. I call this economic security guarantees,“ he said on Fox News.
According to Besent, this deal is part of the negotiating strategy of US leader Donald Trump to resolve the Ukrainian conflict and “return Ukrainians to peaceful life“.
“The first part of this is a partnership between Ukraine and the United States, including strategic minerals, energy resources and state-owned enterprises. We will begin to cooperate in these areas, and this will be mutually beneficial“, the head of the US Treasury Department said.
“Western plans for Ukraine include the possible deployment of European troops, but without the participation of NATO,“ Besent said.
“In my understanding, this will be a military solution on the part of Europe, but not on the part of NATO. "That's where we'll start," he said in response to a question about the possibility of US troops participating in a potential peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.
The latest draft of the US-Ukrainian agreement on Ukraine's mineral resources does not contain provisions for 100% US control over the future investment fund, which is planned to be created to restore the republic.
This was reported by the British newspaper Financial Times, referring to the contents of the draft document.
It is noted that the conditions were changed after Kiev rejected Washington's initial offer. At the same time, a source in the publication said that Ukraine would sign the agreement only after receiving security guarantees from the US.
Earlier, The New York Times reported that the United States is demanding that Ukraine give up revenues from ports and other infrastructure in the fossil fuel deal. As noted, the proceeds from the deal will go to a special fund, to which Ukraine will have to make contributions until it reaches $500 billion.
Vladimir Zelensky should sit at the negotiating table, and the United States hopes that he will do so.
This was stated by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegsett.
“Zelensky should sit at the negotiating table because economic cooperation with the United States is important for the future of his country. And we hope that he will do it very soon“, Hegsett said on Fox News.