Despite the desire of the American side to expand the agreement on establishing the rules and conditions of the investment fund, better known as the minerals deal, for now its draft remains in the form in which it was approved by government on February 26.
This was reported on national television by the advisor to the head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, Serhiy Leshchenko, Ukrinform saw.
“We saw the desire (of the American side – ed.) to expand the agreement. It has not yet undergone expanded coordination. There is only a version that has passed through our Cabinet, it’s ready for signing. This is the version that went to the White House for signing, but for reasons well known wasn’t signed. There are no other versions,” Leshchenko said.
He noted that, if there is another version of the document, “it should also get to the Cabinet of Ministers, be voted on, and then be ready for signing.”
“As of now, if consultations are being held, they are of a technical nature without political agreement,” Leshchenko said.
In addition, he added that. if the U.S. is ready to develop, invest in, and integrate the ZNPP into the Ukrainian and then European energy space, “we aren’t against discussing it.”
“As of now, this is definitely not included in the minerals agreement because the draft has been approved by Cabinet, but this doesn’t mean that such changes can’t be made in the future,” the advisor to the head of the President’s Office emphasized.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, the delegations from Ukraine and the U.S. planned to sign a bilateral agreement on establishing the rules and conditions of the reconstruction investment fund on February 28. This was to be a framework document, and in the future the countries undertook to work on a deal on setting up a Reconstruction Investment Fund, which would require ratification by the Verkhovna Rada. However, the agreement was never signed.
Later, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that during a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, the topic of the resumption of the Zaporizhzhia NPP operations was discussed. According to Zelensky, Trump was interested in the possible participation of the United States in modernizing the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Photo: Energoatom
Source: Draft deal on minerals has no ZNPP mention yet - advisor
