U.S. Proposes Ukraine Repay War Aid in New Minerals Deal

On March 28, Ukraine received an official draft proposal for the U.S.-Ukraine minerals agreement from the U.S. government.

As Gaze previously reported, Ukraine and the U.S. are set to sign the agreement soon, as relations have improved following a dispute at the White House in late February.

Ukrainian officials are reluctant to accept the new version but are avoiding open opposition to prevent tensions with the U.S. As the First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko highlighted, the document includes the provisions not previously discussed between the parties.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced during a briefing that he will review the agreement after it undergoes legal analysis to assess potential legislative risks.

According to The New York Times, Washington has presented Kyiv with a proposal that reiterates the broad financial demands from a previously rejected draft while introducing additional terms that could burden Ukraine’s finances for years.

The revised proposal reinstates Trump’s original demand that Ukraine repay the U.S. for the billions in military and financial aid received since Russia’s full-scale invasion, according to Ukrainian officials. It also excludes security guarantees—a key provision Kyiv had pushed for but Washington had long resisted.

Additionally, Ukraine would be required to allocate half of its revenue from natural resources and related infrastructure, such as ports and pipelines, to a U.S.-controlled investment fund. While profits from the fund would be reinvested in Ukrainian projects, the exact terms remain unclear.

The proposal also specifies profit distribution: the U.S. would claim all fund profits until Ukraine repays the full amount of aid received during the war, plus 4% annual interest. Furthermore, Washington would have the right of first offer on new projects and the authority to veto resource sales to third countries.