Donald Trump seeks US control over all the rare minerals and energy assets of Ukraine – including oil and gas – in extraordinary new proposals to Kyiv.
The latest proposals from Mr. Trump goes far beyond the mineral deal that collapsed last month during Volodymyr Zelensky’s disastrous visit to the White House, several news stores reported on Thursday.
The new agreement would see that the US received all royalties from such assets until Ukraine paid off at least $ 100 billion in war debt, and Kyiv will then only hand over 50 percent – while providing no guarantees for the safety of Russian aggression in return.
Furthermore, it would hand over the US over any sales of Ukrainian resources to other countries, which could possibly block any future path for Ukraine to join the European Union.
One Kyiv official has the proposal as ‘robbery’ for the Financial timesWhile Alan Riley, an expert on energy law at the Atlantic Council, said The telegraph: “I’ve never seen anything like this before … I have to wonder if the real intention is not to force Zelensky to reject it.”
In terms of the latest proposals, all the mineral and energy assets of Ukraine and related infrastructure, such as ports, railways, roads and production facilities under the control of a new investment fund for the reconstruction of the United States.
Three of the new fund’s five management members will be selected by the US, which handed over the full veto power of Washington on resource sales to any third parties.
The US would receive all royalties from the fund until the Ukraine paid off at least $ 100 billion in war debt, plus 4 percent interest, after which Kyiv would receive only 50 percent of the royalties.
Washington would receive a ‘right to the first offer’ on investments in all infrastructure and natural resource projects, while the Ukraine would be prevented from intervening in the daily management of the fund, Bloomberg reported.
Profits from the fund would be directly converted into foreign exchange, with Ukraine being held liable for compensation in case of delays or disputes, according to the Ft.
Three senior Ukrainian officials said to the outlet that an agreement is unlikely to be signed next week, unlike claims in Washington DC. It is reported that one described the new American concept proposal “unfairly”, while another described it as “robbery”.
A third official quoted Kyiv with a team of legal advisers to investigate the document-which was allegedly delivered to Ukraine this past weekend while preparing a counter-offer.
Riley described it as an ‘expropriation document’, saying, ‘There are no guarantees, no defense clauses, the US does not set up anything. The Americans can walk away, the Ukrainians can’t. I’ve never seen anything like that before. ‘
The trade expert noted that the new proposals ‘are not compatible with the EU membership,’ added the trade: ‘Maybe it’s part of the goal.’
After a meeting of European allies of Ukraine on Thursday in Paris to discuss a possible peacekeeping force, Mr. Zelensky said that the US was “constantly” changing the conditions of the proposed mineral agreement with Ukraine – but added that he did not want Washington thinking Kyiv was against the agreement.
“We support cooperation with the US, we do not want to give a single signal that can encourage the US to stop helping Ukraine,” said Mr Zelensky, and the pressure used by Washington emphasized an ally trapped in an existential war against Russia.
While the US said on Tuesday that Russia and Ukraine agreed to a black sea and energy arms, Ukrainian officials on Thursday accused Russia of damaging energy infrastructure in Kherson with artillery strikes.
“Two days ago there was a night when there were no strikes on the energy sector; energy infrastructure in the city of Kherson was damaged by Russian artillery today,” said Mr Zelensky in Paris. “I believe the US should respond with action.”
“Our side, as long as no one understands who monitors it,” he said. ‘That all [evidence] will be prepared and transferred to the US, and then we await the reaction of America as they have told us that they will respond to offenses. “
Mr. Zelensky and his Western allies previously accused Russia of “manipulation” about the agreement, after Moscow demanded that the Black Sea Wonder Treaty – which Russia would benefit disproportionately – would only begin as soon as the Western sanctions were lifted on the fast messaging system and an important bank was re -linked to the fast message system.
Meanwhile, it is reported that Washington talks to the plans to restore Russian gas via Ukraine and later through the Nord Stream pipelines to Europe, while handing over a major stake to US firms.
