TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Ukraine is set to dispatch negotiators to the United States this week to discuss Washington’s latest proposal on access to the country’s rare earth mineral reserves.
As reported by Al Jazeera, Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced that a team would visit the U.S. "to continue negotiations" on the controversial deal. The deal has been a condition for U.S. President Donald Trump to continue supporting Ukraine as the country fights Russia's invasion.
Trump has claimed that the deal, which would give the U.S. special access to valuable natural resources, would support Ukraine's security and post-war reconstruction. However, Moscow continues to delay the White House's offer to mediate a ceasefire.
Svyrydenko mentioned that the Ukrainian team would include representatives from various ministries, including the ministries of economy, foreign affairs, justice, and finance.
“This dialogue reflects the strategic interests of both nations and our shared commitment to building a strong, transparent partnership,” she wrote on X.
Svyrydenko also added that the negotiators aim to align project selections, legal frameworks, and long-term investment mechanisms between their country and the U.S..
The agreement is seen as crucial for Kyiv's efforts to maintain U.S. support, with Trump appearing to align more closely with Moscow's agenda in ceasefire talks that have sidelined Ukraine and its allies in Europe.
Trump has stated that Washington will not support the presence of peacekeeping forces to ensure Ukraine's security in the ceasefire. Instead, he claimed that the presence of U.S. companies extracting minerals in the country would deter further Russian aggression.
The initial version of the deal was thwarted after a heated meeting in the Oval Office between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in February.
By the end of March, Washington gave Kyiv a much broader revised draft than the previous version.
Ukrainian parliament members leaked the new document, which includes access not only to rare earth minerals but also to gas and oil. Critics condemned the draft, calling it diplomatic coercion.
Trump saw the deal as a way to regain billions in aid for Ukraine's struggle against Russia.
However, Zelensky insisted that Kyiv would not acknowledge previous U.S. aid as a loan to be repaid or agree to a deal that threatened the country's future integration with the European Union.
Separately, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said last Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin supported the idea of a ceasefire in Ukraine. However, he added that there were many lingering questions about how it would work.
So far, Putin has rejected the joint U.S.-Ukraine proposal for an unconditional and full ceasefire. He made the partial ceasefire proposed by the U.S. in the Black Sea contingent on the lifting of certain Western sanctions.
Ukraine's European allies have cautioned the U.S. not to be swayed by Moscow's efforts to delay peace progress while Russia continues to bombard Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron was the latest to emphasize this.
“For almost a month now, Russia has not only refused to accept the ceasefire, but has also stepped up its bombardment of civilians,” Macron said on Monday, April 7, 2025, during a visit to Cairo, Egypt.
“It is urgent that Russia stop with the pretences and stalling tactics and accept the unconditional ceasefire that was proposed by President Trump,” Macron said.
As reported by NBC News, Trump .Trump has expressed his frustration over the slow negotiations. Last March, Trump admitted to being "frustrated" with Putin, but has since continued to hint at his warm relationship with the Russian leader.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last Friday that Trump would not "fall into the trap of endless negotiations" with Russia over its three-year aggression.
“We will know soon enough, in a matter of weeks, not months, whether Russia is serious about peace or not,” he said.
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