The European Union offered its own agreement on “critical materials” to Ukraine on Monday, just as U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Washington was close to inking a deal with Kyiv for the rights to its vast natural resources.
That’s according to European Commissioner for Industrial Strategy Stephane Sejourne, Ukrinform reports, citing Politico.
Sejourne said he had pitched the rival proposal to Ukrainian officials he met in Kyiv during a visit by the European Commission to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“Twenty-one of the 30 critical materials Europe needs can be provided by Ukraine in a win-win partnership. […] The added value Europe offers is that we will never demand a deal that’s not mutually beneficial,” he said.
However, Sejourne did not specify which resources are included or provide further details about the agreement.
On February 12, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent visited Kyiv and proposed a partnership agreement, including cooperation on Ukraine’’s mineral resources. However, the deal was not signed.
President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that an agreement with the U.S. on Ukraine’s natural resources was not yet ready, emphasizing that any such deal should include security guarantees for Ukraine.
Reports suggested that a draft U.S. proposal worth $500 billion contained terms similar to those imposed on defeated aggressor states after World War II, with conditions harsher than the post-1945 financial sanctions on Germany and Japan.
Later, the Trump administration submitted a revised version of the agreement. Zelensky insisted that Ukraine should be a full-fledged partner, not a debtor, in any deal regarding rare earth minerals with the U.S.
Source: EU offers its own minerals deal to Ukraine – Politico
