Ukraine is revising a draft agreement with the United States on preferential access to its natural resources, a senior official said on Monday, following US President Donald Trump’s warning that Kyiv would face “big problems” if it rejected the proposal.
The deal, initially to be signed last month, was derailed after a dramatic televised dispute between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump has pushed for an arrangement that would grant the US royalty payments from Ukraine’s mineral extraction as compensation for previous military and financial aid.
A Ukrainian official, speaking anonymously, told AFP that Kyiv plans to submit its proposals to Washington by the end of the week, adding that Ukraine was still evaluating the details of the American proposal.
Trump’s warning was likely a “misunderstanding,” the official suggested, noting that he was probably referring to NATO rather than the mineral deal specifically.
The proposed agreement has also drawn interest from Europe, amid concerns that some provisions could clash with Ukraine’s commitments to the European Union, which it hopes to join.
Following last month’s confrontation at the White House, which led to a temporary suspension of US military aid and intelligence-sharing, Ukrainian officials have been cautious in their approach to negotiations with Washington.
