Photo: Word and Deed
The agreement between Kyiv and Washington could have a significant impact on the further development of bilateral relations.
On Thursday, 27 March 2025, Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak stunned the public by revealing the details of a new draft agreement between Kyiv and Washington. On his Telegram channel, he said that the 58-page document, handed over by the US side on 23 March, covers revenues from the extraction of all minerals in Ukraine – from oil and gas to new and existing fields. “Throughout Ukraine,” Zheleznyak said, not hiding his surprise.
Money down the drain or control over subsoil?
According to the project, production revenues from both state-owned and private companies will be immediately converted into foreign currency. And if there are any problems with payments, they will be compensated by Ukraine itself, which has been heroically defending itself from the Russian invasion for three years now. But that’s not all: the agreement is proposed to be made indefinite, and any changes to it are possible only with the consent of the United States. The production process will be managed by five people, three of whom will be Americans with veto power. Washington’s contribution? Assistance provided to Ukraine since 2022. It sounds like the deal of the century, but for whom?
Zheleznyak emphasised that the document does not contain a single word about security guarantees from the United States. “There is not even a hint,” he wrote bitterly. According to him, this is not just a memorandum of intent, but a full-fledged draft agreement. “The text I’ve seen is just a nightmare,” the MP admitted, expressing hope that the Ukrainian side will be able to achieve significant changes.
Washington is in a hurry
Meanwhile, the US is not hiding its optimism. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Fox News that the agreement could be signed as early as next week, in early April. “We have handed over a ready-made document on economic partnership. It is now being studied by the Ukrainians, and we hope for quick discussions and possibly signatures,” he said, exuding confidence. President Donald Trump’s administration appears to see the deal as a way to consolidate its grip on Ukraine’s resources, using previous aid as leverage.
But the path to the agreement was not easy. Back in February, the parties discussed several versions of the document, but the signing was disrupted by a high-profile scandal. On 28 February, in the Oval Office, Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance got into a fight with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in front of journalists. The meeting ended early, and Zelenskyy left the White House in tense silence. And now, after the talks in Riyadh with the participation of the US, Ukrainian and Russian delegations, Trump is talking about quick success again.
What’s next?
As Ukraine’s subsoil becomes a bargaining chip in a larger geopolitical game, questions abound. Will Kyiv be able to bargain for better terms? Or will a country exhausted by war be forced to sign a deal that is already being called a binding agreement? Jaroslav Zheleznyak calls for vigilance, and American officials are preparing pens for signatures. One thing is for sure: the coming weeks will be crucial – not only for Ukraine, but for the entire picture of global influence. Stay tuned for more details!
