Ukraine has agreed that previous US aid that was provided to it will not be part of the minerals deal that it intends to sign with Washington. This was announced by Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal, quoted by "Reuters", reports News.bg.
"Agreements were reached that the document will not include aid received before its signing," he explained in a post on Telegram.
Shmygal, who was in the United States last week for the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, added that there was "good progress" on the agreement after a meeting with US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant.
"The most important thing is that we have clearly defined our red lines. The agreement must comply with European obligations and not contradict the Constitution and legislation of Ukraine," the prime minister stressed. He added that legal teams are working on the document.
Yesterday, US National Security Advisor Mike Walz said that the deal "will be concluded".
On April 18, the two countries signed a memorandum that represents the first step towards reaching an agreement on the development of mineral resources in Ukraine - a deal that US President Donald Trump had been pushing for but which has proven difficult to achieve.
Although the two countries were ready to sign an agreement on cooperation in the field of natural resources in February, it was postponed after a tense meeting in the Oval Office between Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.