EU denies offering Ukraine agreement on minerals

The European Commission has denied information about a new agreement on minerals allegedly proposed to Ukraine, an alternative to the American document. They say that such cooperation has been going on for several years.

The European Commission spokesman Thomas Rainier stated this, according to Interfax-Ukraine.

"There is no proposal. Since 2021, the EU has had an official partnership with Ukraine on critical raw materials, which is formalized by a memorandum of understanding. So, this dates back four years," he said.

According to the spokesman, this cooperation is aimed at:

• not only ensuring the security of supply chains for the EU,
• but also promoting the creation of local value and capacity development in partner countries, which creates mutual benefit.

"Now, as you can see, this is actually about cooperation with Ukraine and not about some kind of competition with the United States," Rainier added.

So, the day before, during an EU officials' visit to Kyiv, European Commissioner for Industrial Strategy Stephane Séjournais "confirmed our commitment to implementing this memorandum of understanding and accelerating work to strengthen our mutually beneficial partnership," the spokesman said.

Earlier, the media, citing European Commissioner for Industrial Strategy Stephane Séjournais, wrote that the European Union had submitted an alternative agreement to Ukrainian officials on access to Ukraine's minerals amid Kyiv's desire to conclude a similar deal with the United States.

For reference:

Earlier, US President Donald Trump stated that he wanted to finalize an agreement with Kyiv in which Ukraine would supply the United States with rare earth minerals needed for electronics in exchange for American aid.

In response, Zelensky stated that Ukraine was prepared to reach an agreement with the United States on supplying rare earth resources. However, he emphasized that he did not intend to "give away" these resources, instead proposing a mutually beneficial partnership.

The head of state also mentioned that Ukraine was open to American investment in extracting its rare earth minerals in exchange for US assistance. He noted that he had already discussed this with US President Donald Trump in September 2024 and included it as a key point in his Victory Plan.

On February 15, reports emerged that the Trump Administration proposed Ukraine transfer 50% ownership of its rare earth minerals to the United States. However, President Volodymyr Zelensky declined to sign the proposed agreement.

As the Ukrainian leader recently noted, the agreement on rare earth metals did not indicate any security guarantees for Ukraine.

Later, it was reported that the US President's administration, according to media reports, may try to conclude a simplified agreement on minerals with Ukraine to speed up the process and then discuss the detailed conditions.

Volodymyr Zelensky urged swift and strategic work on agreements with the United States, emphasizing the importance of accords concerning rare earth metals and security guarantees for Ukraine.

On February 24, Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna announced that the agreement on minerals is nearly finalized, with plans to sign it in Washington.

It is noteworthy that Rubryka has discussed Ukraine's rare earth elements, lithium reserves, and other mineral resources, highlighting their significance and why they have gained attention during the war.