EU seeks strategic resource partnership with Ukraine amid US negotiation strains
In a significant move, the European Union has proposed a deal to Ukraine for access to its "critical" resources, EU Commissioner for Industrial Strategy, Stephan Sejourne, announced on Monday, February 24. Sejourne indicated that "21 out of 30 critical materials needed by Europe can be supplied by Ukraine as part of a mutually beneficial partnership," though he did not specify which resources were under consideration.
During his visit to Kyiv on February 24, Sejourne presented this proposal to Ukrainian officials, reiterating that this agreement would indeed be mutually beneficial. He assured that Europe would never demand a deal unfavorable to Kyiv.
European Council President Antonio Costa, meanwhile, made it clear that the EU is not seeking Ukrainian natural resources in exchange for financial and military support. "Over the past three years, the European Union has been a significant donor in supporting Ukraine, and we do this for Ukraine, for Ukrainians, and for European security," Costa stated.
The EU's proposition comes amid discussions of a resource deal between Ukraine and the United States. The initial idea to allow rare earth metal extraction in Ukraine in exchange for military aid was floated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This caught the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump, who demanded that Kyiv reimburse $500 billion, which he claims Washington has already spent in supporting Ukraine.
The U.S. deal proposed did not include security guarantees for Kyiv, leading Zelensky to refuse to sign. In response, Trump criticized the Ukrainian president and demanded broader access not only to rare earth metals but also to oil and "anything we can get."
Defiantly, Zelensky has rejected the assertion that Ukraine owes the U.S. $500 billion for aid. "Whether someone likes it or not, I do not recognize even $100 billion; we agreed with President Biden that this is a grant! A grant is not a liability. We will not repay grants. I will not sign up for something ten generations of Ukrainians will pay," Zelensky declared.
Later, Trump indicated that despite public disagreements, Washington and Kyiv are close to finalizing a deal. "Almost all key details are agreed upon. We intend to finalize them as soon as possible to proceed with the document signing," Trump said.
According to informed sources within CNN, the agreement might be signed within the next two weeks during Zelensky’s forthcoming visit to Washington, although "troublesome technical details," including the matter of security guarantees for Ukraine, have been earmarked for further discussion.