US-Ukrainian Minerals Deal: What's the European Union Got to Do With It?
Unveiled on Wednesday, April 30, this strategic partnership on minerals was negotiated by Washington and Kyiv without the involvement of their European allies. On the Old Continent, the press is wondering: could the European Union suffer?
“After 100 days in the White House, Donald Trump can boast of having pulled off a great coup,” announces the Belgian newspaper Le Soir . The American leader signed a minerals agreement with Ukraine on April 30, which, according to the Belgian newspaper, constitutes “a victory for the Republican president.” And “a lesser evil for Volodymyr Zelensky,” the Ukrainian president. The contract does not, of course, contain security guarantees for Ukraine. But it provides for the creation of an investment fund for the reconstruction of the country and, in return, gives Americans access to the country’s natural resources. Control over these resources must nevertheless remain the responsibility of the Ukrainian state.
And what about the European Union (EU) in all this? “The agreement should not interfere with Kyiv-European Union relations, nor with the process that could ultimately lead to Ukraine’s accession,” comments the Spanish daily El País . The European Commission also welcomed “the [American] commitment to invest alongside Ukrainians in favor of a free, sovereign and secure Ukraine,” according to the website of the Polish media TVP World . The EU executive also welcomed the presence of “specific provisions aimed at per
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