According to NBC News, US President Donald Trump's team has offered Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky a 50% ownership stake in the country's mineral resources, with the added bonus of sending US troops to Ukraine if a ceasefire agreement is reached with Russia.
Points of attention
- This deal is a way for Ukraine to repay the US for billions of dollars in weapons and support.
- Zelensky has so far refused to sign the document because he wants to carefully analyze all its details.
The US wants 50% ownership of Ukrainian minerals
According to journalist insiders, the proposed ownership deal will not so much be a payment for minerals as a way for Kyiv to repay the United States for billions of dollars in weapons and support.
It is indicated that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant has already introduced the Ukrainian leader to this proposal in the draft contract he brought to their meeting.
Despite this, it is known that Volodymyr Zelenskyy refused to sign the document, explaining this by the fact that he needed to familiarize himself with it and consult with others.
According to the head of state, he and his team "will do everything to study all the details of the document" before arriving in Munich, where he met on Friday with Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of a global security conference.
What is also important to understand is that many Ukrainian minerals are located in territories currently occupied by Russia.
