Ukraine to Begin Negotiations on Rare Earth Minerals Agreement With the U.S. Next Week

The Ukrainian government will begin formal negotiations next week on an agreement with the United States concerning rare earth minerals and security guarantees, Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Ruslan Stefanchuk stated.

According to Stefanchuk, following President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s meeting with U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg, an expert group will commence work on finalizing the terms of the agreement. He emphasized that Ukraine is open to collaboration on mineral resources but seeks specific security assurances alongside economic cooperation.

Stefanchuk reiterated that Zelenskyy had proposed a joint initiative with the U.S. on Ukraine’s mineral resources as part of his Victory Plan presented in September last year. He also noted that Ukraine aims to hold constructive discussions and move toward organizing a high-level summit with U.S. representatives as soon as possible.

Commenting on recent remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump regarding Ukraine’s elections, Stefanchuk clarified that Ukrainian law prohibits holding elections during martial law. He stated that fair elections would not be feasible under current conditions due to the ongoing full-scale invasion.

Earlier, Reuters reported that U.S. officials have discussed the possibility of restricting Ukraine’s access to the Starlink satellite internet system if Kyiv does not agree to terms on a strategic minerals deal. The issue was reportedly raised during negotiations after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declined an initial proposal by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.