Olusegun Ariyo
A senior economist with the Centre for Economic Strategy in Kyiv, Volodymyr Landa, has said that the Minerals Deal between the United States of America and Ukraine has gone through “multiple iterations”.
According to him, as quoted by the Guardian UK, “It’s hard to say what’s inside.”
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine is keen to improve relations with the US President Donald Trump administration.
At the same time, the Ukrainian leader has so far turned down America’s demand that revenue from the new joint fund is used to cover the cost of weapons deliveries provided by the Biden administration.
Recall that President Trump had announced previously that Kyiv “owes” the US $300bn (£226bn).
However, Zelenskyy maintained that America’s assistance to his country came in the form of a grant, not as a loan, with Republicans and Democrats approving it in Congress.
Zelenskyy said that going forward partnership has to be based on “parity”, and should benefit both countries.
Landa said he did not expect Kyiv to accept that previous “non-refundable military aid” was now “debt”.
“That’s not only unfair and unrealistic, but may also negatively affect the full global financial system.
“If it suddenly turns out that countries and organisations can demand aid payments given unconditionally in previous years, it will make recipients more cautious, and could reopen difficult issues from previous decades around the world.”
