Kyiv working to maintain US support as Trump warned against Russian stalling on ceasefire deal.
Ukraine has said it is working with the United States towards a mutually acceptable deal on the country’s mineral resources.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Tuesday that Kyiv and Washington are working on a “mutually acceptable” agreement.
The long-mooted deal is viewed as key for Kyiv’s efforts to maintain US support, with Ukraine worrying that Trump appears to be veering towards Moscow’s agenda as he pushes to mandate a ceasefire in the war with Russia, in talks that have sidelined Ukraine and Europe.
That push remains a major focus of global geopolitics, with Western states pointing at Russian “stalling” while others stress support for Russia’s defence of its “interests”.
Sybiha told a news conference on Tuesday that one round of consultations had already taken place, and that a deal providing for a strong US business presence in Ukraine would contribute to his country’s security infrastructure.
“This process will continue and we will work with our American colleagues to reach a mutually acceptable text for signing,” the foreign minister said.
‘Big problems’
Ukraine has previously said Western security guarantees are vital for any ceasefire to hold. Trump has said the US will not provide or back the presence of peacekeepers, but has claimed that the presence of US firms in Ukraine would act as sufficient guarantee.
Trump warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would face “big problems” if he backed out of a deal that would allow the US access to his country’s resources.
Washington put forward an expanded proposal after the two sides failed to sign the framework deal during Zelenskyy’s visit to the US in late February, which ended with a fiery exchange between the two leaders in the Oval Office.
The revised outline would require Kyiv to send Washington all profit from a fund controlling Ukrainian resources until Ukraine had repaid all US wartime aid, plus interest, according to a summary reviewed by the Reuters news agency.
Zelenskyy on Friday said Ukraine would not accept any mineral rights deal that threatened its integration with the European Union, but that it was too early to pass judgement on the revised agreement.
Divisions
The debate over a ceasefire continues to illustrate geopolitical divisions as it grinds on.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Moscow on Tuesday and during a meeting with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov said Beijing would back Russia to defend its “interests” even as it prepared to play a “constructive role” in ending the conflict.
Beijing has deepened political, military and economic cooperation with Moscow since it launched its war on Ukraine in February 2022.
China presents itself as a neutral party in the conflict, noting it is not sending military assistance to either side, unlike the United States and other Western nations.
Wang said China is encouraged by the talks between the US and Russia.
However, Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, on an unannounced trip to Kyiv on Tuesday, warned of a “deadlock” in negotiations.
Berlin’s outgoing chief diplomat warned the US not to be misled by Russia’s “stalling tactics”, adding that given the problems in forging a truce, the continued support of European allies for Ukraine in the war is “absolutely crucial”.
Baerbock also insisted that any rare earths agreements with Ukraine should be compatible with European law, noting the EU already has a deal agreed with Kyiv.
