Andrey Sibiga’s remarks on a potential agreement between Kiev and Washington contained an apparent slip-up.
During a discussion on Tuesday about a potential agreement on critical minerals between Ukraine and the US, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga seemingly confused the two nations.
Kiev and Washington are in discussions to finalize an agreement that would give the US access to Ukraine’s mineral resources, including rare-earth elements, in exchange for American military aid during the conflict with Moscow.
Sibiga stated at a press briefing that a new round of consultations with the US regarding the draft agreement is underway.
“The Ukrainian side is dedicated to finalizing a document that would benefit the national interests of both the United States and America,” Sibiga stated in a video released by a Ukrainian news source.
The foreign minister didn’t correct his statement and continued by saying that the potential agreement, which anticipates a continued presence of major US companies in Ukraine, would strengthen the country’s overall security.
Vladimir Zelensky initially proposed the arrangement in his so-called “victory plan” last year prior to the US presidential election. Kiev sought to guarantee ongoing US support against Russia by providing preferential access to mineral resources.
The agreement was initially scheduled to be signed in late February, but the ceremony was postponed due to a public disagreement between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump, who accused the Ukrainian leader of being ungrateful and unwilling to reach a peace agreement with Russia.
Furthermore, while Trump has presented the agreement as a means for Ukraine to repay previous US assistance, Zelensky has maintained that Kiev owes Washington nothing.
According to media sources, the most recent version of the agreement contains considerably harsher conditions for Ukraine. Reportedly, the US would recover all aid provided to Ukraine since the conflict with Russia escalated in 2022 and would levy a 4% annual interest rate on the total before Kiev could access any of the earnings from the joint extraction fund.
According to Germany’s Kiel Institute, the US has given Ukraine more than $123 billion in military and financial aid since 2022. Trump has asserted that the actual cost to the US has surpassed $300 billion.
Zelensky stated last week that the new framework differs significantly from what was planned in February, but he did not completely reject the proposal.
Trump has cautioned that Zelensky would face “big problems” if he tries to withdraw from the agreement.
“`