Ukraine said on Wednesday that Washington would support Kiev's efforts to obtain security guarantees under a finalized minerals deal that the two countries have been arguing about for two weeks, but the Americans did not offer their own security pledges, Reuters reports.
The deal is at the heart of Kiev's bid to win strong support from Donald Trump as the US president seeks to quickly end a war with Russia that Ukraine's supporters fear could come at the expense of its national interests.
Trump told reporters that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to visit Washington on Friday, February 28, to sign a "very big" deal".
Denys Shmygal, the prime minister of Ukraine, said the government would approve the agreed wording later on Wednesday so it could be signed. He described the agreement as a preliminary agreement.
"After the president of Ukraine and the president of the United States agree on security guarantees, and agree on how to tie this preliminary agreement to security guarantees from the United States for our country, in the presence of (the two) presidents, a representative of the Ukrainian government will sign this preliminary agreement," he said.
A copy of a draft agreement seen by Reuters and dated February 25 is titled "Bilateral Agreement Establishing Terms and Conditions for a Reconstruction Investment Fund".
It says: "The government of the United States of America supports Ukraine's efforts to obtain security guarantees necessary to establish lasting peace.".
A Ukrainian source explained that the document is the version that the government in Kiev is expected to agree on in Wednesday.
Shmighal, outlining the agreement in televised comments, said Kiev would contribute 50% of "all revenues derived from the future monetization of all relevant state natural resources and relevant infrastructure".
These revenues would go to a fund under the joint control of the United States and Ukraine, he said, adding that no decision on the management of the fund could be made without Kiev's consent.
"Already existing deposits, facilities, licenses and leases are not subject to discussion when creating this fund," he added.
He added: "Of course, neither the president nor the government would sign or consider... a colonial treaty that did not take into account the interests of the state."
Commenting on the mining deal, Zelensky stressed that the main issue for him was the continuation of U.S. aid states.
He explained that the preliminary deal on minerals is "just the beginning, the foundation, and it could be a great success".
According to him, during the discussion of the agreement on natural resources, his team insisted that the Americans include a corresponding line in the document.
"I wanted the proposal for security guarantees for Ukraine to be in the document, it is important to have it", he said.
According to Zelensky, during his visit to Washington he intends to directly ask whether America will continue to support Kiev.
Earlier, an AFP source in the Ukrainian government reported that the draft agreement includes a security clause, but does not mention specific obligations of the United States regarding its guarantee - this was one of Kiev's demands.
"There is a common point that America will invest in a stable and prosperous sovereign Ukraine, that it works for lasting peace and that America supports security efforts," the agency's source said.
"Success will depend on our conversation with President Trump," Zelensky noted.
During a press conference in Kiev, Zelensky said he would insist on security guarantees for Ukraine.