The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has signed a landmark agreement with the United States on cooperation in the field of subsoil resources and the establishment of an investment fund. It is important to note that this document does not require amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine and provides for parity management of the future fund, while not recognizing the existence of any “debts” of Ukraine to the USA.
This is reported by Finway
According to the plans, Ukraine and the USA will conclude two more agreements concerning the technical aspects of implementing this cooperation. This refers to draft law No. 0309, which was submitted to the Verkhovna Rada by the Cabinet of Ministers on May 1, immediately after the signing of the agreement. On May 8, this draft law was ratified by the Ukrainian parliament, with 338 deputies voting in favor, which constitutes a constitutional majority.
Voting and Support
The voting on the draft law was distributed among the factions as follows: “Servant of the People” – 210 votes, “European Solidarity” – 23, “Fatherland” – 22, “Platform for Life and Peace” – 18, “Voice” – 12, “Restoration of Ukraine” – 12, “For the Future” – 10, “Trust” – 18, independents – 13. The document was prepared for ratification under an expedited procedure, and the discussion took place in the session hall following a shortened procedure.
The parliament also included draft law No. 13256 on the agenda, which amends the Budget Code in relation to the implementation of the agreement. The main voting on this draft law is scheduled for after May 11.
The Agreement as a Historic Opportunity
During the discussion of the draft law, the head of the Committee on International Policy, Oleksandr Merezhko, noted that “this international treaty, which is subject to ratification by the Verkhovna Rada, is contained in just one 12-page document.” He emphasized that the Verkhovna Rada is consenting only to this document, in accordance with Article 9 of the Constitution of Ukraine.
The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Yulia Svyrydenko, presented the document to the deputies, emphasizing that the agreement is equitable and guarantees Ukraine’s right to ownership and control over its natural resources. She also noted that the agreement takes into account Ukraine’s commitments regarding its accession to the European Union.
“We have taken an important step towards restoring our economy, strengthening Ukraine, and increasing the well-being of our people,” said the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, highlighting the significant opportunities that the agreement opens up.
The ratification of the main part of the agreement required voting, while the two technical agreements only require signing. As explained by MP from “Voice” Yaroslav Zheleznyak, these agreements concern the establishment of the Fund and the General Partner who will manage it.
It is worth noting that the President of Ukraine previously suggested that the USA consider imposing visa restrictions on those MPs who did not support the agreement.