Zelensky sees new US commodity deal proposal as 'completely different': 'Very unfavorable for Ukraine'

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the new draft for a comprehensive raw materials deal with the United States is "completely different" from an earlier concept. The proposal requires further assessment by lawyers, Zelensky said.

The president emphasized that Ukraine will not accept an agreement that would jeopardize accession to the European Union. A day earlier, the American news agency Bloomberg reported that the Americans are demanding even more economic power in Ukraine. Washington sees this partly as compensation for military aid to Ukraine in the fight against Russia.

The United States would insist on control over all major future investments in infrastructure and minerals. According to Bloomberg, Washington could even undermine Ukraine's efforts to become a member of the EU. The Americans would gain enormous power in projects such as roads and railways, ports, mines, oil and gas and the extraction of important minerals.

Zelensky did not provide details about the deal, but according to Ukrainian media it would be "very unfavorable" for the country. Ukrainian parliamentarians have also already expressed criticism and called the document "unacceptable".