The will to reach an agreement on Ukraine's minerals is there. Kiev will send a team to Washington next week to work on a new draft of the agreement, Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced. "The new US draft agreement shows that the intention to create a fund or jointly invest remains," Svyrydenko said. The Kiev delegation will include representatives of the ministries of Economy, Foreign Affairs, Justice and Finance.

The minerals negotiations have already led to tensions between Kiev and Washington: the two sides were preparing to sign a framework agreement in February, but the plan derailed following a row in the Oval Office . After Ukrainian lawmakers leaked the new draft, critics called it little more than an attempt to strip Kiev of control over its natural resources and infrastructure . According to the leaked document, the new draft includes not only rare earth minerals, but also gas and oil . “What we have now is a document that reflects the position of the US Treasury legal team,” Svyrydenko said, clarifying that “this is not a final version, it is not a joint position.” Ukraine’s task now, he stressed, is to assemble a technical team for the negotiations , define its red lines and key principles, and send a delegation to Washington for technical talks as early as next week . Svyrydenko declined to speak publicly about Ukraine’s official assessment of the new draft, but noted that there is now a more detailed document outlining the creation of the fund. And while the initial draft focused primarily on the intention to establish it, Svyrydenko said the latest version lays out how American advisers envision the fund’s structure and operation.

It is not yet clear what role Ukraine would play in managing the fund under the new US draft. However, analysts who have reviewed the leaked document said Kiev’s involvement would likely be minimal , a point Ukraine hopes to dispute in upcoming negotiations, using the previously agreed framework as a reference. “We are very focused on ensuring that the final draft of the agreement, after negotiations, is fully in line with our strategic interests,” Svyrydenko said. “I believe that the work on the previous memorandum has shown that both teams are capable of achieving these goals and agreeing on terms that are acceptable to both sides.” Meanwhile, Emmanuel Macron continues to call for a more decisive response from Kiev’s partners: “Russia’s attacks must stop, a ceasefire is needed as soon as possible. And strong actions, if Russia continues to try to gain time and refuse peace", asked the French president, who already during the meeting at the Elysée at the end of March had announced the unanimous decision of the Willing not to withdraw the sanctions against Russia.

(Online Union)

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