The European Union has presented an agreement on critical resources to Ukraine. According to Stéphane Séjourné, the EU Commission’s Vice President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy, a deal with the EU would be mutually beneficial, in contrast to similar demands from the United States.
Séjourné stated that Ukraine possesses 21 of the 30 most important resources Europe needs and could supply these resources as part of a partnership beneficial to both sides. The EU, he added, would not propose an agreement that is not in the best interest of both parties.
On the same day, European Council President António Costa emphasized that the EU has supported Ukraine over the past three years without demanding its natural resources in return. Regarding a rare earth agreement between the US and Ukraine, Costa told Suspilne that, “Ukraine is a sovereign state, which has the right to govern its territory and conduct international negotiations.”
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for Ukraine to compensate the US for its aid, estimating the total amount to be around 500 billion US dollars. The US would accept access to Ukraine’s natural resources, including rare earth, as a form of repayment, Trump said. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected this proposal, reiterating that the US aid was provided as a grant, not a loan and that he would not sign an agreement that would burden “ten generations of Ukrainians.