Ukraine agrees to raw materials deal with the US - report
According to a media report, Ukraine has agreed to the raw materials deal with the USA. As the Financial Times (FT) reports, citing Ukrainian officials, Kiev is now ready to sign the agreement on the joint development of natural resources in Ukraine. The agreement was given because the USA has backed down from its demands for a claim to 500 billion dollars in potential revenue from the exploitation of the resources.
Although the deal still does not contain any security guarantees for Ukraine, which has been invaded by Russia, it is now said to be more advantageous for the country than before.
The final version of the February 24 agreement, seen by the FT, envisages the creation of a fund into which Ukraine would pay 50 percent of revenues from the "future monetization" of state mineral resources, including oil and gas, and related logistics. The fund would invest in projects in Ukraine. Zelenskyy needs the approval of the Ukrainian parliament for final approval.
However, the agreement would lack any reference to US security guarantees that Kyiv had initially insisted on in return for agreeing to the deal, according to the report. It also leaves open crucial questions such as the size of the US share in the fund and the terms of "joint ownership" agreements, which will have to be negotiated in follow-up agreements.
Berliner-zeitung
