Ukraine is open to investment but does not want to become a "center for the extraction of raw materials for any continent," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with CNN Turk published on Feb. 19.
The comment comes after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent delivered a draft of the agreement to Zelensky on Feb. 12. The president said Ukraine is not ready to sign the document as it did not include any security guarantees.
"Ukraine is ready for investment, provided that the occupied territories are liberated and natural resources are protected," Zelensky told CNN Turk.
"We do not want to become a center for the extraction of raw materials for any continent. It is more important for us to be friends and partners, not just a source of raw materials," he added.
A Ukrainian delegation led by Zelensky discussed the deal with U.S. delegates led by Vice President JD Vance during the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 14. Kyiv praised the talks as constructive, even though they did not result in the signing of the memorandum.
"Without security guarantees, the deal will not be fair. If we want to give something, we must get something in return," Zelensky said.
The U.S. is looking to obtain 50% of Ukraine's rare earth minerals, NBC reported on Feb. 15. Washington has signaled openness to deploy American troops to guard these resources if there is a deal with Russia to end the war, undisclosed American officials told the outlet.
U.S. President Donald Trump said in early February that he wanted to strike a deal with Ukraine involving access to rare earth minerals in exchange for continued aid. Trump later claimed that Kyiv had "essentially agreed" to a $500 billion resource deal.
Dmytro Kuleba
