Ukraine, US agree on strategic minerals deal

By Le Figaro with AFP

Published on February 25 at 8:46 p.m. , updated on February 25 at 8:56 p.m.

Volodymyr Zelensky's Ukraine and Donald Trump's United States were in negotiations on rare earth minerals. JOHN THYS, ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP

A Ukrainian official said on Tuesday that the agreement, without clauses unfavorable to kyiv, could be signed as early as Friday in Washington.

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Kiev and Washington agreed on Tuesday evening on the terms of an agreement giving American companies access to Ukrainian strategic minerals , a Ukrainian official announced to AFP. The unfavorable clauses of this agreement for Ukraine, which could be signed on Friday, were withdrawn by Washington, continued the same source.

"Government officials are working on the details... We are planning a visit to Washington on Friday to sign the agreement," the source said on condition of anonymity, noting that the Americans had "removed all the clauses that did not suit us, in particular the $500 billion" that the minerals were supposed to bring to the United States.

US President Donald Trump wanted the deal to compensate Washington for the military and financial aid it has already delivered, and his administration has increased pressure on Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky to sign the document. The Ukrainian president had rejected an initial version of the deal, saying that "Ukraine is not for sale." The US president, for his part, had assured Monday that a minerals agreement with Ukraine was "very close."

More information to follow...

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