Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared on Friday that Ukraine will not agree to any mineral deal that could compromise its bid to join the European Union.
“Nothing that could endanger Ukraine’s accession to the EU can be accepted,” Zelenskyy stated during a press conference in Kyiv.
His remarks were echoed by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Sunday, who stressed that Ukraine would firmly reject any agreement that weakens the country. “We can see this Russian strategy and will never accept anything that leaves Ukraine weak or defenseless,” Sybiha said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He added that a genuine and lasting peace must include strong and enduring security guarantees.
Their comments follow a recent U.S. proposal offering Ukraine access to a joint investment fund in exchange for rights to extract and share in the profits from Ukraine’s oil, gas, and mineral resources.
However, Zelenskyy criticized the latest draft of the agreement, pointing out that it contained “many new provisions that were not previously discussed,” as well as “some aspects that had already been rejected by both sides,” according to Ukrainian media reports.
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