The draft of the new expanded minerals agreement between Ukraine and the United States does not mention NATO, but the agreement should not contradict Ukraine's future accession to the European Union (EU).
This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a joint briefing with German Foreign Minister Analene Berbock in Kiev, quoted by UNIAN.
Zelensky said that Ukrainian and American teams are currently working on a new draft of this agreement and therefore are not discussing its details at this stage.
Ukraine will work with the United States on a mutually acceptable text of a minerals deal that the two countries can sign, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga said earlier.
He later repeated the statement during a press conference with Berbock.
"We Europeans have agreed to conclude agreements with Ukraine that will be fully harmonized with European law on our continent.", she said.
The statements came after US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wanted to withdraw from the deal, warning that the Ukrainian leader would face big problems if he did.
Washington offered an expanded deal for Kiev's minerals after the two sides failed to sign a framework deal during Zelensky's visit to the US in late February, which ended with Trump rebuking him in the Oval Office.
White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt said Trump was disappointed with "the leaders on both sides". She says the war has gone on for too long, with many dead on both sides, Sky News reports.