New draft agreement deepens US demands for Ukraine’s mineral resources

This statement came after analyzing the new version of the large-scale agreement concerning Ukraine’s minerals and questioning whether it is a strong deal for Trump or yet another attempt to humiliate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"Convinced of Ukraine’s weakness, despising President Zelenskyy, and angered by the billions of dollars in aid provided to Kyiv by the Biden administration, Trump intends to reclaim all of that and more," the author, Hugh Tomlinson, wrote.

Tomlinson pointed out that over the past few days, White House representatives claimed that the agreement on resources between Ukraine and the US would be signed soon. The Times emphasized that the reason for the delay and the price of the ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war may now be clearer.

While Moscow shows no signs of preparing to end hostilities, US negotiators are likely working to extract even greater concessions from Kyiv.

However, as the journalist writes, the Trump team’s self-serving approach to relations with Ukraine is no surprise, and its flagship policy is driven by the belief that the world, particularly Europe, "has been ripping off the USA for years." The weeks since Trump’s return to the White House have sobered America’s allies, but for Ukraine, they have been devastating, the author wrote.

He also noted that since the "catastrophic" meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump in the Oval Office on Feb. 28, "US ambitions regarding its share in post-war Ukraine have grown."

However, the journalist stressed that pressuring Kyiv into further concessions while Russian missiles continue to strike Ukraine does not bring the ceasefire closer.

"And does nothing to unlock Ukraine’s energy wealth – neither for its own benefit nor for Trump’s," Tomlinson concluded.

The rare-earth mineral resources agreement between Ukraine and the US 

Ukraine and the US were supposed to sign a framework agreement on rare earth metals on Feb. 28. The document outlined the obligation to start negotiations with the US on a second, more detailed agreement that would govern the operations of the Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund – a bilateral structure that Ukraine and the US were to create, with Ukraine contributing 50% of future income from new mineral development. However, the agreement was not to cover the current income of Ukrainian gas companies - Naftogaz and Ukrnafta.

The signing of the agreement was canceled on Feb. 28 after a dispute between Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, US President Trump, and US Vice President Jay D. Vance at the White House.

On March 3, President Zelenskyy said that Kyiv was ready to sign the agreement with the US on minerals, provided that both sides were mutually prepared and took Ukraine's position into account.

Later, Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, after talks with Zelenskyy and Head of the President’s Office Andriy Yermak, commented that the US and Ukraine will sign the critical minerals agreement in the shortest possible time.

On March 11, the President’s Office announced that Ukraine and the US had agreed to finalize the comprehensive agreement on critical mineral resources "as soon as possible."

On March 26, US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant reported that the US government had prepared a "full" version of the mineral resources agreement, which could be signed as early as next week.

On March 27, Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak announced that the US side had handed Ukraine a new draft mineral resources agreement, which must be ratified by the Verkhovna Rada. It is dated March 23 and allegedly covers US access to all minerals throughout Ukraine, including current and future developments.