EU and Trump vie for Ukraine's vast natural resources
According to Politico, the European Union offered Ukraine its own agreement on "critical materials" on Monday. Donald Trump is discussing the joint extraction of Ukrainian resources and is pressuring Volodymyr Zelensky to sign a contract on rights to the country's vast natural resources.
European Commissioner for Welfare and Industrial Strategy, Stéphane Séjourné, presented a competing proposal to Ukrainian officials. This occurred on Monday in Kyiv during the European Commission's visit, marking the third anniversary of the full-scale war in Ukraine.
The added value Europe offers is that we will never demand a deal that's not mutually beneficial, said Séjourné, as quoted by Politico.
The EU seeks cooperation with Ukraine
Twenty-one out of the thirty critical materials that Europe needs can be provided by Ukraine as part of a mutually beneficial partnership, stated the French politician.
The EU's actions are a response to Donald Trump's demands, as he is seeking $500 billion in compensation from Kyiv for the support provided by the USA during the war with Russia.
"While Zelenskyy wants a deal, he has so far refused to sign two draft minerals agreements sent by the U.S. (...) Ukrainians are baffled by Trump's estimate of a $500 billion debt, while Zelenskyy described the new version of the proposed debt as credit with 100 per cent interest rate where he has to return two dollars for every dollar the US spent on aid to Ukraine," notes Politico.
The President of Ukraine himself has announced: "I am not signing something that will be paid by 10 generations of Ukrainians."
The great resource map
Your eyes may open when you consider several dozens of titanium deposits, accounting for 30% of the known global deposits, or the accumulation of manganese ores in the eastern part of the country. Europe is short on titanium, which is used in nuclear submarines, whereas graphite is vital in metallurgy, electrical engineering, and battery production. Let's also consider 52 iron ore deposits, each with over 1 billion tons of resources, explained Prof. Piestrzyński.
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