US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed disappointment with the results of discussions on a US-Ukraine precious metals deal. In particular, he stressed that a preliminary agreement was reached during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to conclude the deal, but the president later announced that he had abandoned it.
In an interview with journalist Catherine Gerridge, Rubio noted that during the talks with Zelensky and US Vice President J.D. Vance in Munich, a contract was discussed that would provide for cooperation between the countries in the field of precious metals mining. According to him, the US did not intend to "steal" Ukraine's resources, but was interested in concluding an agreement as a security guarantee for both countries.
“We are trying to be partners on important economic initiatives, and that should be a safety signal to you,” Rubio said. He confirmed that President Zelensky had agreed to the deal, but stressed that it still had to go through the legislative process for approval.
However, Rubio noted, he later learned that Zelensky had publicly stated that he had rejected the deal. “That upset me because we agreed to this in the meeting,” Rubio explained, adding that the United States is eager to help Ukraine but believes it is entitled to a certain level of gratitude.
The situation surrounding this agreement casts doubt on the effectiveness of the negotiations between the US and Ukraine, since, according to the Financial Times, the main reason for the refusal was the US demand to receive half of the rights to all of Ukraine's fossil resources, without providing appropriate security guarantees. Zelensky, in turn, confirmed that Ukraine is not abandoning the agreement, but wants to achieve more favorable conditions.
