US Seeks Authority Over Crucial Ukrainian Gas Pipeline — Reuters
The demand is an “Easter egg” contained in the minerals deal that Washington is pressuring Kiev to sign, according to the news agency. The administration of US President Donald Trump seeks to have Kiev grant Washington control over a pipeline...
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The demand is an “Easter egg” contained in the minerals deal that Washington is pressuring Kiev to sign, according to the news agency.
The administration of US President Donald Trump seeks to have Kiev grant Washington control over a pipeline that transports Russian gas to the EU, as reported by Reuters.
This specific request is among the “Easter eggs” in the most recent draft of the minerals deal, which Washington is urging Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky's government to finalize, the agency stated in a report on Friday.
As cited by an informed source, the agreement drafted by Washington includes a requirement that the US government’s International Development Finance Corporation assume control of a natural gas pipeline running from the Russian energy giant Gazprom through Ukraine to Europe.
There have been no gas shipments through Gazprom’s pipeline this year, as Ukraine declined to extend its transit agreement with the Russian company.
On Friday, US and Ukrainian officials convened in Washington to negotiate the deal that would grant Americans access to Ukraine’s mineral resources, including rare-earth metals, in a setting described as “very antagonistic” by the source.
The tensions between the parties are attributed to “maximalist” demands outlined in the latest version of the agreement, which the Trump administration presented to Kiev last month, the agency’s interlocutor noted.
To assist with the negotiations, the Ukrainian authorities have engaged Hogan Lovells, a US-British law firm, as an external advisor on the deal.
Following Zelensky's refusal to endorse the initial agreement during his White House meeting in late February, the US introduced more stringent terms. That visit culminated in a public disagreement between the US and Ukrainian leaders, during which Trump purportedly accused Zelensky of being ungrateful for Washington’s support amid the conflict with Russia and of lacking interest in achieving peace.
According to Reuters, the latest iteration of the deal would provide the US with preferential access to Ukraine’s mineral deposits and necessitate that Kiev deposit all revenue generated from its natural resource exploitation into a joint investment fund.
The agreement does not offer Ukraine American security guarantees, which the Ukrainian government regards as a top priority.
Trump, who argues that the deal would allow US taxpayers to recover funds previously expended by the Biden administration on assistance to Kiev, warned earlier this month that Zelensky would face “big, big problems” should he choose to withdraw from the agreement.
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
The administration of US President Donald Trump seeks to have Kiev grant Washington control over a pipeline that transports Russian gas to the EU, as reported by Reuters.
This specific request is among the “Easter eggs” in the most recent draft of the minerals deal, which Washington is urging Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky's government to finalize, the agency stated in a report on Friday.
As cited by an informed source, the agreement drafted by Washington includes a requirement that the US government’s International Development Finance Corporation assume control of a natural gas pipeline running from the Russian energy giant Gazprom through Ukraine to Europe.
There have been no gas shipments through Gazprom’s pipeline this year, as Ukraine declined to extend its transit agreement with the Russian company.
On Friday, US and Ukrainian officials convened in Washington to negotiate the deal that would grant Americans access to Ukraine’s mineral resources, including rare-earth metals, in a setting described as “very antagonistic” by the source.
The tensions between the parties are attributed to “maximalist” demands outlined in the latest version of the agreement, which the Trump administration presented to Kiev last month, the agency’s interlocutor noted.
To assist with the negotiations, the Ukrainian authorities have engaged Hogan Lovells, a US-British law firm, as an external advisor on the deal.
Following Zelensky's refusal to endorse the initial agreement during his White House meeting in late February, the US introduced more stringent terms. That visit culminated in a public disagreement between the US and Ukrainian leaders, during which Trump purportedly accused Zelensky of being ungrateful for Washington’s support amid the conflict with Russia and of lacking interest in achieving peace.
According to Reuters, the latest iteration of the deal would provide the US with preferential access to Ukraine’s mineral deposits and necessitate that Kiev deposit all revenue generated from its natural resource exploitation into a joint investment fund.
The agreement does not offer Ukraine American security guarantees, which the Ukrainian government regards as a top priority.
Trump, who argues that the deal would allow US taxpayers to recover funds previously expended by the Biden administration on assistance to Kiev, warned earlier this month that Zelensky would face “big, big problems” should he choose to withdraw from the agreement.
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
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