Ukraine and the US have agreed on the details of a minerals deal after Washington dropped its toughest demands. This is reported by the Financial Times (FT), citing its sources, News.bg reported.
It is noted that this deal, as Ukrainian officials hope, will improve relations with the administration of US President Donald Trump and pave the way for long-term security commitments from Washington.
"Ukrainian officials say that Kiev is now ready to sign an agreement to jointly develop its mineral resources, including oil and gas, after the United States abandoned its demands for the right to $500 billion in potential revenues from resource development", the article says.
The publication's interlocutors say that they managed to negotiate much more favorable terms of the agreement. The deal was presented as a way to expand relations with the United States to strengthen Ukraine's prospects after three years of war.
"The minerals agreement is only part of the picture. "We have heard many times from the US administration that this is part of a bigger picture," said Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice of Ukraine, who led the negotiations.
UNIAN notes that the extremely harsh terms of the original document, presented to the White House as a way for Ukraine to restore US military and financial aid, caused outrage in Kiev and other European capitals. The Ukrainian president refused to sign the agreement, after which Trump called him a "dictator" and apparently blamed Ukraine for starting the war.