Ukrainian delegation holds meeting in U.S. on mineral deal

Reuters reports.

According to a news agency, U.S. and Ukrainian officials met on Friday to discuss a U.S. proposal for access to Ukraine’s mineral resources. However, a source said the chances of a breakthrough were slim due to the "antagonistic" atmosphere of the meeting. 

Tensions reportedly arose over the latest draft proposal from the Trump administration, which is more expansive than the original version. The source also noted that the document included a U.S. demand for the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to take control of a Gazprom gas pipeline running through Ukraine to Europe.

A U.S. Treasury Department spokesperson confirmed that discussions on the agreement are taking place, describing them as “technical in nature.”

According to several sources familiar with the plans, in two weeks senior Ukrainian officials, including Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko, will visit Washington to attend IMF and World Bank meetings, including Ukraine-focused ministers’ meeting on April 25.

Earlier, The New York Times reported that a Ukrainian delegation arrived in the United States on Friday, April 11, to negotiate an agreement on rare earth minerals, citing anonymous Ukrainian officials.

According to expectations, negotiations on the deal were to begin on Friday and last two days. According to the source, the talks will be technical and will not involve high-ranking officials.

The article also reports that the Ukrainian delegation is headed by Deputy Minister of Economy Taras Kachka. The group also includes representatives of the Ministries of Justice and Economy.

Mineral deal: what is known

On March 28, the media reported that the administration of US President Donald Trump had returned to the subsoil agreement a requirement for Ukraine to reimburse all the assistance the United States provided after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. 

During an hour of questions to the government in the Ukrainian parliament on March 28, Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko confirmed that the government had received a draft agreement from the United States on minerals.

Later, Zelenskyy commented on the new American draft agreement on Ukrainian rare earth minerals and said that it contained things that the parties had previously rejected.

On March 31, it became known that Ukraine and the United States discussed the American draft of the mineral agreement for the first time.

On April 8, Bloomberg reported that delegations from Ukraine and the United States would discuss a mineral deal on April 11-12.

On the same day, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said that Ukraine had already developed its position on the minerals deal with the United States and was now forming a group to go to the talks.

On April 9, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed that the technical negotiations on the minerals deal to be held in Washington on April 11-12 would be the first meeting to develop the main principles of the agreement. In particular, Ukraine will defend parity in the management of the fund.

At the same time, Stefanishyna said that technical consultations between Ukraine and the United States on the mineral deal would take place on April 11.