Ukrainian PM says minerals deal with US will not harm Ukraine's EU aspirations
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has stated that the agreement with the United States on mineral extraction cannot jeopardise Ukraine's aspiration to join the European Union. Source: Shmyhal in an interview with Bloomberg, as reported by European Pravda Details: Shmyhal noted that Ukraine would send a special technical working group to Washington for negotiations on the agreement "no later than tomorrow".
Advertisement:The talks on the deal come amid concerns that granting the US significant privileges might complicate Ukraine's efforts to join the EU.
"This [EU accession - ed.] is the number one red line which we communicate to all of our partners," Shmyhal stressed.
He said that Ukraine will "look in for the best solution" during the negotiations on the agreement.
Advertisement:"So this agreement can't hurt our European aspirations and can't hurt our association agreement with the European Union," Shmyhal added.
Background:
- Following talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah on 11 March, the presidents of the United States and Ukraine reached an agreement on the development of Ukraine's critical mineral resources.
- Afterwards, Stefanishyna announced that the Kyiv-Washington framework agreement on mineral resources had been finalised and that Ukraine was ready to sign it at any time.
- On 24 March, US President Donald Trump announced that an agreement on rare earth metals would be signed with Ukraine "soon".
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that the United States had proposed to Ukraine a new draft of the mineral resources agreement, which would immediately include parliamentary ratification beyond the initial framework agreement.
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