US, Ukraine minerals deal negotiations 'antagonistic,' Reuters reports
Ongoing talks between Kyiv and Washington on securing a critical minerals deal continue to be tense, with a source familiar with the discussion describing the negotiating atmosphere as "very antagonistic," Reuters reported on April 11.
According to a source who spoke to Reuters, tensions surrounding negotiations stem from the Trump administration's proposal for extensive control over Ukraine's natural resources through a joint investment fund — which are larger than initially proposed.
Describing the more expansive proposal as "maximalist," the source added that it was unlikely a new round of technical talks will lead to a breakthrough in negotiations.
The long-running negotiation, which has already strained ties between Kyiv and Washington, follows an attempt to finalize a framework agreement earlier this year.
Those plans were disrupted after a heated Oval Office meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and President Volodymyr Zelensky. Critics later slammed the leaked draft for potentially undermining Ukraine's control over its natural resources, including not just rare-earth minerals but also gas and oil.
One of the glaring issues is that the latest draft of the deal conflicts with a critical raw materials partnership signed between Brussels and Kyiv in 2021, potentially harming Ukraine’s ambitions to join the EU in the future.
Ukraine's Justice Ministry has hired the American-British law firm Hogan Lovells for assistance in negotiating a critical minerals deal with the United States, according to a filing under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has called for the the agreement to be mutually beneficial, and meet the interests of both countries without putting at risk Ukraine's accession to the EU.
Kateryna Denisova
