RTWed, 02 Apr 2025 19:36 UTC
© Getty Images / NurPhoto / ContributorFILE PHOTO: Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga
The gaffe occurred during remarks by Andrey Sibiga on a potential agreement between Kiev and Washington
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga appeared to confuse Ukraine and the US while speaking on Tuesday about a potential agreement between the two countries on critical minerals.
Kiev and Washington have been in talks to finalize a deal that would grant the US access to Ukraine's mineral resources, including rare-earth elements, in return for American military aid provided during the conflict with Moscow.
Speaking at a press briefing, Sibiga confirmed that a new round of consultations with the US on the draft agreement is already under way.
"The Ukrainian side is committed to concluding a document that would serve the national interests of both the United States and America," Sibiga said in a video released by a Ukrainian news outlet.
The foreign minister did not correct himself and went on to say that the potential agreement, which envisions a continued presence of major US businesses in Ukraine, would contribute to the country's broader security.The arrangement was initially proposed by Vladimir Zelensky in his so-called 'victory plan' presented last year ahead of the US presidential election. Kiev aimed to secure continued US support against Russia by offering privileged access to mineral resources.
The two sides were expected to sign the agreement in late February, but the ceremony was derailed by a public clash between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump, who accused the Ukrainian leader of ingratitude and reluctance to make a peace deal with Russia.
In addition, while Trump has portrayed the deal as a way for Ukraine to pay back past US assistance, Zelensky has insisted that Kiev owes Washington nothing.
According to media reports, the latest version of the deal includes significantly tougher terms for Ukraine.
The US would reportedly recoup all aid provided to Ukraine since the 2022 escalation of the conflict with Russia, and would impose a 4% annual interest rate on the total before Kiev could access any of the profits from the joint extraction fund.The US has allocated more than $123 billion in military and financial assistance to Ukraine since 2022, according to Germany's Kiel Institute. Trump has claimed the true cost to the US has exceeded $300 billion.
Last week, Zelensky said the new framework differs significantly from what had been planned in February, though he did not dismiss the proposal outright.
Trump has warned that Zelensky would face "big problems" if he attempts to back out of the deal.
Comment: The FM
"appeared to confuse", but
"did not correct himself" and was essentially correct in stating that an agreement "
would serve the national interests of both the United States and America", given the conditions, including: "
The US would reportedly recoup all aid provided to Ukraine since the 2022 escalation of the conflict with Russia, and would impose a 4% annual interest rate on the total before Kiev could access any of the profits from the joint extraction fund." All the destructive consequences of fighting a proxy war on behalf of the US and allied European elites amount to nothing. This situation could be a lesson not only for Ukraine, but also for citizens of the European vassals. Will they take it now, or do they prefer the Ukrainian process, if not in terms of an armed conflict then in terms of a societal collapse?
Related to this article, the former president of Ukraine, Pyotr Poroshenko has commented on the negotiations. From the same source, there was:
1 Apr, 2025 14:46
Zelensky botching resource deal talks with US - ex-president
The agreement raises concern about whether Ukraine will remain a sovereign nation, Pyotr Poroshenko has said
The Ukrainian government's attempts to negotiate a favorable rare-earths agreement with the US have backfired, sparking concerns about the country's sovereignty, former President Pyotr Poroshenko has claimed.
In a post on X on Monday, Poroshenko charged that Vladimir Zelensky and his top negotiators are "clearly unable to cope with extremely serious challenges" posed by dialogue with the US regarding a deal that would grant Washington access to Ukrainian mineral deposits.
Poroshenko noted that the idea of a resource deal was first introduced by Zelensky, but "due to frankly unprofessional approaches, Ukraine lost the opportunity to fix the parameters of this agreement within the framework of a political memorandum."
"As a result, the state of preparation of this document, which appeared in the press, already raises serious concerns as a threat, in particular, to state sovereignty and European integration," the former president said. He claimed that further US military and financial assistance to Ukraine hinges on the success of the deal.
Poroshenko also warned that the back-and-forth around the deal had already triggered "anti-American hysteria" in Ukraine, which he said "is definitely not a constructive way to develop diplomatic solutions."
To rectify the situation, Poroshenko suggested that the "Ukrainian negotiating delegation, which bears direct responsibility for the failure on the American direction, needs serious changes and professional strengthening."
He also noted that the Ukrainian parliament could play a role in the process and table proposals for the American side, adding that he and his allies are demanding an urgent meeting on the matter.
Ukraine and the US were poised to sign a deal in late February, but the ceremony was derailed by a public clash between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump, who accused the Ukrainian leader of ingratitude and reluctance to make a peace deal with Russia.
In addition, while Trump has portrayed the deal as a way for Ukraine to pay back past US assistance, Zelensky has insisted that Kiev owes Washington nothing.
Last week, the Ukrainian leader said the new framework of the minerals deal now looks different from the one the sides wanted to sign in February, although he did not reject it.
Trump has suggested that Zelensky is trying to back out of the agreement, warning that he will have "big problems" if he does so.
The US may get its deal, Poroshenko and co may even get a chance to make small, insignificant amendments, but as a positive, it does seem that with the excruciating pain of realizing they have been had, scales are slowly coming off the eyes of more Ukrainians, to be more precise of the eyes of those that are left, after millions have emigrated, territories have been lost, and many hundreds of thousands have died at the front. It will be question for historians to discuss when Ukraine lost its independence.
Comment: The FM "appeared to confuse", but "did not correct himself" and was essentially correct in stating that an agreement "would serve the national interests of both the United States and America", given the conditions, including: "The US would reportedly recoup all aid provided to Ukraine since the 2022 escalation of the conflict with Russia, and would impose a 4% annual interest rate on the total before Kiev could access any of the profits from the joint extraction fund." All the destructive consequences of fighting a proxy war on behalf of the US and allied European elites amount to nothing. This situation could be a lesson not only for Ukraine, but also for citizens of the European vassals. Will they take it now, or do they prefer the Ukrainian process, if not in terms of an armed conflict then in terms of a societal collapse?
Related to this article, the former president of Ukraine, Pyotr Poroshenko has commented on the negotiations. From the same source, there was: The US may get its deal, Poroshenko and co may even get a chance to make small, insignificant amendments, but as a positive, it does seem that with the excruciating pain of realizing they have been had, scales are slowly coming off the eyes of more Ukrainians, to be more precise of the eyes of those that are left, after millions have emigrated, territories have been lost, and many hundreds of thousands have died at the front. It will be question for historians to discuss when Ukraine lost its independence.