kyiv, Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Parliament ratified on Thursday the “historical” agreement with the United States on the exploitation of natural resources of the country, signed after weeks of tense negotiations and that, according to kyiv, could open the way to a new US military aid.
“The Ukrainian Parliament has ratified the historic economic association Agreement between Ukraine and the United States,” said minister of Economy Yulia Svydenko on Network X.
The Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski He considered that this text opens a “new chapter” in the relations between kyiv and Washington.
“At this time, (the agreement) constitutes a solid basis for safety cooperation and, in the long term, it offers Ukraine and the United States The opportunity to expand a mutually beneficial economic collaboration, “Zelenski said Thursday in a message posted on social networks.
- The treaty refers to the extraction of mineralsoil and gas in Ukraine But it does not include security guarantees, as kyiv asked.
The bilateral agreement was signed at the end of April after weeks of tensions between kyiv and Washington, which culminated in a verbal confrontation between the presidents Donald Trump and Volodimir Zelenski in the Oval Office in February.
Contrary to what Trump initially wanted, the document does not contemplate counting as debt of Ukraine Towards the United States the American help granted by his predecessor Joe Biden From the beginning of the invasion in 2022.
“The agreement does not mention any debt, only new investments. And it is very important that these investments be made in Ukraine,” Svyrydenko celebrated in X.
Does not include security guarantees, But it offers “an opportunity to press Russia, because it shows that the United States is willing to protect its association and interests. It is not just my impression, they are words of the White House,” he said.
The text foresees, however, that the new US military aid can be counted as a contribution to a fund of Ukrainian-American investmentthe minister recalled.
- This fund for the “reconstruction” of Ukrainedevastated for more than three years of war, will be financed and managed equally by both parties.
The Ukrainian contribution will be composed, according to kyiv, a 50% for derived rights of new licenses granted for the exploitation of natural resources.
