US sends Ukraine updated minerals deal — Axios
The administration of US President Donald Trump has handed Ukraine an "improved" version of the mineral extraction agreement that takes into account "some of Volodymyr Zelenskyy's concerns," Axios reports, citing five sources, including officials from Ukraine and the United States.
Sources on both sides said a deal now looks more likely. One source said the updated draft contains “significant improvement” and is “in conformity with Ukrainian law.”
Another source said that some clauses that raised concerns in Ukraine were removed, including the fact that the agreement would be subject to the jurisdiction of a New York court.
One of the sources also told Axios that several aides to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are encouraging him to sign the updated proposal to avoid further confrontation with Trump.
Earlier, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz advised Ukraine to "tone it down" and sign a minerals agreement. According to him, this document "provides a truly unique historical opportunity to have the United States as a co-investor in the Ukrainian economy, resources, and as a partner."
What kind of deal is this?
Donald Trump announced that he wants to conclude an agreement with Kyiv under which Ukraine would supply the United States with rare earth minerals needed for electronics in exchange for American aid.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy assured that Ukraine is open to American investment. He also noted that he discussed such an agreement with Trump back in September 2024, and then included it in his Victory Plan as one of the points.
According to media reports, the US wanted to obtain the right to 50% of mineral reserves in Ukraine.
However, Zelenskyy did not sign this agreement, explaining that the document did not correspond to Ukrainian interests. In particular, it did not contain security guarantees and was “too focused on US interests.” The White House called Zelenskyy’s refusal “short-sighted.”
Trump later stated that Ukraine needed to hold elections because Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy allegedly had only a 4% approval rating.
In response, Zelenskyy referred to the latest survey data from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), according to which, as of the first half of February 2025, 57% of Ukrainians trust him.
According to the Ukrainian president, the data about 4% is Russian disinformation, and Trump, "unfortunately, lives in this disinformation space."
Later, Trump again criticized the president of Ukraine, saying that he was refusing to hold elections.
Mike Waltz said that the United States deserves "return on its investment," not "escalation of rhetoric" and "strange resistance" from Ukraine.
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