American and Ukrainian representatives held negotiations throughout the night until the morning of February 21, attempting to finalize a mineral agreement and prevent the deterioration of relations between the countries. This was reported by Axios, citing a U.S. official and a source familiar with the matter.
It has been noted that disagreements over this agreement have triggered a broader crisis in the relationship between Ukraine and the United States.
"Now, representatives of the Trump administration and some members of the Ukrainian government are pressuring President Volodymyr Zelensky to finalize the agreement," the publication states.
According to sources, the decision now rests with Zelensky. They expressed concerns that the crisis between the U.S. and Ukraine could worsen if the president rejects the proposal.
A U.S. representative described this as a "critical scenario for the Ukrainians." The resources in question could be worth a total of trillions of dollars.
It is recalled that Zelensky initially rejected the U.S. proposal, and the American side returned with an "improved" offer earlier this week, now making additional changes. The exact terms of the current U.S. proposal remain unclear.
Ukraine's Mineral Agreement with the U.S.
Earlier, Bloomberg reported, citing an informed source, that Ukrainian and American officials are striving to overcome disagreements regarding the mineral agreement this week.
It was noted that Ukrainian officials are currently actively discussing mineral matters with U.S. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg, who is in Kyiv on a working visit.