He spoke about the work on the document since the first negotiations on the likely interaction and the principles on which the future agreement on minerals from the United States is based.
“It is important for us to note that the whole world understands that this is not some kind of conspiracy theory there. The main principles of this agreement are useful for the United States and for us because it sets the dynamics of negotiations, you have seen that there were enough compressed terms and intensity of negotiations. And on the other hand, the principles that we are talking about investments in Ukraine that allow us to earn from what they help us. At the same time, without recognizing this as a certain debt or a change in the conditions of the assistance provided, ”the official emphasized.
When asked about the amount of debt that the United States allegedly calculated from the assistance of Ukraine and which will consider their contribution to the future investment fund to Ukraine, Kachka replied that so far there are no attempts to formulate numbers, because everyone understands that the agreement is not a long, but mutually beneficial cooperation.
“What needs to be very clearly and unambiguously refuted, and we spoke in detail-we are not talking about any new debt or transformation of previous debt assistance. That is, there is no logic of debt obligations or any debt in the US proposals and, accordingly, in the proposals of Ukraine. We are talking about what ambitions, how much they want to earn both the USA and Ukraine from investment in Ukraine,” he emphasized.
The Deputy Minister also informed that the Ukrainian side had proposals for military assistance, which are now expecting the US reaction and which can be discussed during the next round of negotiations next week.
“This is really the logic that we need to add and we see that the United States is ready to talk about it, so there will be certain positive news, I will be ready to tell in more detail in a week,” he announced.
Context
Ukraine and the United States agreed to sign an agreement on the access of Americans to Ukrainian natural resources. At first, it was only about rare earth metals, but then the terms of the transaction were expanded. The approval of the text lasted several weeks, there were several options for the project. The Ukrainian side wants the document to be prescribed by clear security guarantees that, as part of the United States agreement, will be provided to Ukraine, and also that the conditions are not prescribed there about the need to compensate for the help provided to Ukraine. President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky said that Ukraine “It should not recognize grants as debts, like it or not like it. “
The agreement was planned to be signed in Washington on February 28, however, at a briefing in the White House between Zelensky, US President Donald Trump and US Vice President Jay Di Wansa arose. The Americans accused Zelensky of “ingratitude” and “disrespect”. As a result, the Ukrainian delegation left the White House ahead of schedule, did not sign the agreements, and Trump said that Zelensky was not ready for the world with the participation of the United States.
On April 1, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrei Sibiga said that the two countries are working on an expanded agreement on mineral resources, which will be mutually acceptable to both parties and in no case would contradict Ukraine’s entry into the EU. Prior to that, he confirmed that Ukraine began consultations regarding the text of an agreement on minerals, which was proposed by the American side.
April 11 Reuters, citing a source, reported that the United States and Ukraine held intense negotiations regarding the mining agreement, the prospects for achieving a breakthrough remain small due to the “antagonistic” atmosphere of discussions.
Trump suggested that the agreement on minerals could be signed on April 24.
