The treaty between Ukraine and the US on minerals should be an agreement on cooperation on equal terms for both sides, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said today at a joint press conference in Brussels with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaia Kalas and the EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, BTA reports.
We have limitations on the content of the agreement, outlined by the constitution and our obligations to the EU, added Shmyhal, who is participating in the tenth meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Council. I believe that within months we can achieve significant progress on the path to the EU, he said. The Ukrainian Prime Minister called for the seizure of Russian property seized by the EU and its use for the reconstruction of his country.
The EU can provide Ukraine with the ammunition it needs, said Kaia Kalas. According to her, Russia does not want peace, continuing and intensifying attacks, although Ukraine unconditionally accepted the ceasefire. She pointed out that Kiev will soon receive transfers from the interest income from the seized property and part of the funds will be used for Ukrainian defense. "We are moving forward with the assessment of Ukrainian legislation, this is the first part of the accession negotiations. There is no shortcut to EU membership," added Kalas.
She commented that the capture of Chinese soldiers in Ukraine does not mean that the Chinese army is directly involved in the war. China and North Korea support the war, added Kalas.
EU aid to Ukraine is a debt and a long-term investment in European security, said European Commissioner Marta Kos. Ukraine's accession to the EU is an important guarantee for the country's security, she added. According to her, 26 EU countries support the start of accession negotiations with Kiev in substance.