Ukraine submitted a set of proposals to the U.S. during technical consultations on a key minerals agreement held in Washington on April 11, Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna confirmed on April 14.
"This is a positive sign in itself that consultations are taking place," she said on air on national television, emphasizing that the Kyiv-prepared proposals had been coordinated across Ukrainian ministries.
Stefanishyna declined to disclose specific details, noting that negotiations are ongoing and "I expect that after these consultations, negotiations will continue until we reach an agreement."
Talks over the deal have become increasingly fraught. On April 11, a source familiar with the discussions told Reuters that the Trump administration has advanced a "maximalist" proposal to give Washington extensive control over Ukrainian natural resources.
One of the glaring issues is that the latest draft of the deal reportedly conflicts with a critical raw materials partnership signed between the EU and Kyiv in 2021, potentially harming Ukraine's ambitions to join the bloc in the future.
A leaked draft of the deal drew backlash for granting disproportionate benefits to the U.S. side.
A framework version of the agreement was scheduled to be signed during President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Washington on Feb. 28. The Ukrainian government approved the draft and designated either First Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko or Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha as signatories.
The plan collapsed after a tense Oval Office dispute involving Zelensky, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Vice President JD Vance. Zelensky left the White House without signing the agreement.
Ukraine's Justice Ministry has retained the American-British law firm Hogan Lovells to support the negotiations. Sybiha reiterated that Kyiv seeks a mutually beneficial agreement aligned with Ukraine's long-term interests and EU aspirations.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
(Updated: )
