On April 11, representatives from the US and Ukraine held negotiations aimed at finalizing a mineral agreement. However, as reported by Reuters, the dialogue proved to be tense. During the meeting, the American side presented an updated document to their Ukrainian counterparts, which included an unexpected clause: a demand for the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to gain control over the Russian Gazprom pipeline that runs through Ukraine to Europe.
This is reported by Finway
The US Department of the Treasury characterized the results of the negotiations as “technical in nature.” Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the country had been working with Ukraine on the mineral agreement even during Joe Biden’s administration. However, Donald Trump significantly altered the initial concept.
“We have been trying for many months to attract investment to Ukraine, including in this sector. It would be beneficial for our companies. But what we saw in the agreement proposed by the Trump administration is, in my opinion, simply extortion, with no protection for Ukraine from Russia,” Blinken noted.
It is worth recalling that the proposal for joint resource development was part of the Victory Plan, which the President of Ukraine presented to key allies last summer. Thus, the negotiations remain tense, as the new demands could significantly impact future relations between the countries.