The USA has backed away from its stringent demands regarding the right to $500 billion in revenue from mineral extraction in Ukraine, reports Politeka.net.
According to the Financial Times, under the agreement, Ukraine has consented to establish a fund that will allocate 50% of the revenues from mineral resource extraction. These funds will be invested in projects within Ukraine; however, the agreement does not cover the current activities of companies such as "Naftogaz" or "Ukrnafta."
"However, the agreement lacks any reference to U.S. security guarantees, which Kyiv initially insisted upon in exchange for agreeing to the deal. It also leaves unanswered critical questions such as the size of the U.S. share in the fund and the terms of 'joint ownership' agreements that are to be addressed in subsequent agreements," the publication states, according to Politeka.
The preliminary version of the agreement proposed that the U.S. would receive 100% of the financial interest from investments in Ukraine, which was unacceptable to Ukrainian officials. After the terms were revised, the document became significantly more favorable to Ukraine, yet important issues still remain to be resolved.
Ukrainian officials, particularly Deputy Prime Minister Olga Stefanishyna, emphasized that this agreement is merely "framework" and paves the way for further negotiations, as well as the possibility of President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Washington to sign the document. The signing of the agreement is expected to be a significant step towards deepening cooperation between Ukraine and the U.S. in the future.
"$350 billion and the right to fight further," Trump described the benefits for Ukraine from the new agreement.
Source: ft.