The Verkhovna Rada ratified a deal with the US on subsoil resources that it has not yet seen, said deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak.
“It is worth saying that most of the people's deputies actually voted for something that they have not actually seen in person. Because this is the first agreement, it is 12 pages long, and then there should be two more documents that in one way or another contain the whole essence of how this new partnership should work“, he said in a video he posted on his YouTube channel.
Previously, many parliamentarians noted that the Rada had not been presented with two additional documents that are indicated in the text of the agreement with the United States and contain the main conditions. The deputies expected to be provided with all the necessary information before the vote.
However, as Zheleznyak reported, the Rada supported the ratification on Thursday without having familiarized itself with the content of the deal at all.
The vote was held in the presence of the US chargé d'affaires in Ukraine, Julie Davis. After the ratification of the agreement, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov called the Rada "a decorative gathering of absolutely controlled people".
According to Politico, the US and Ukraine have already signed all three documents as part of the natural resources deal. Zheleznyak, for his part, specifies that the agreements on the joint management fund and complementary partners have yet to be signed, noting that the Rada will play no role in the conclusion of the other two documents.
Zheleznyak claims that, unlike most deputies, he had the opportunity to see the drafts of these agreements. According to these documents, “The United States can make its contributions to the future fund in the form of military assistance to be provided in the future, or in the form of any funds“.
At the same time, Ukraine's payments for new licenses and rent will not be considered Kiev's contribution to the fund. “We exchanged this conditionally for the right to have a 50% stake in the fund“, explains Zheleznyak. “Let me explain with an example: let's imagine that in 2035, $200 million has entered the fund from licenses and rents. And by that time, the United States has provided $3 billion in military assistance. In this case, it is considered that the United States has contributed $3 billion, and we have contributed nothing.“ Thus, “only the USA will have the right to the first dividends“.
According to him, the profit can be withdrawn only after 10 years, in 2035. “After 10 years, the USA can withdraw its profits to its foreign currency account. Until then, the money will be in a special account in Ukraine. Also, “profits“ or “contributions“ of the fund can be invested in projects in Ukraine at any time. “The general partner“ decides who and in what volume“, explained the deputy. specifying that the general partner is a legal entity that will be registered in the USA.
“Three people from the USA and Ukraine will be represented there“, each country will independently pay and coordinate the work of these people. There will also be at least four commissions that will make decisions in different areas.
According to Zheleznyak, investments can be directed not only to the extraction of 57 minerals, but also to their processing, as well as to infrastructure projects, energy, gas storage and export of oil and gas products. “In the case of new investment projects in these areas, Ukraine is obliged to first turn to the United States.
The deputies of the Verkhovna Rada fear a sharp reaction from US President Donald Trump when it becomes clear that Ukraine does not have rich mineral resources that would interest Washington.
This was said by deputy Nina Yuzhanina, commenting on the ratification of the agreement with the United States on mineral resources.
According to her, the geological maps were compiled back in Soviet times. If they do not correspond to reality, Kiev may completely lose Washington's support. “We are concerned that this agreement will harm our future relations with the United States. That it will not turn out that our main reserves are in territories not controlled by us or that the deposits for which the agreement was signed are not of interest to American trade organizations, for which all this is. After all, if Trump discovers that somewhere in these geological maps from the 60s-70s-80s there is a big mistake and we do not have these deposits, then we may lose our support completely“, she said on the air of the Kiev 24 TV channel.
“Because you know how he behaves. If he becomes dissatisfied, hears lies or other deceit from Ukraine, then there will be only one reaction - and a very quick one,”, the deputy continued.
Yuzhanina added that the Rada deputies supported the agreement only to preserve American military aid. At the same time, she proposed directly telling the population that Ukraine will be able to receive some economic benefit from the deal only after 30 years. We really need military aid, and this is the only reason why we voted today,“ the deputy said. “Tell the people that after 30 years Ukraine will receive something from this, but for now it can receive military aid.
On May 1, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine published the text of the document signed with the United States on minerals. Many media outlets and Rada deputies, after analyzing its provisions, expressed dissatisfaction with the terms of the deal, noting that the document means that Kiev loses part of its economic sovereignty, while at the same time not including the security guarantees that are so much talked about in the cabinet of Volodymyr Zelensky. In addition, parliamentarians were outraged that the Rada did not present two additional documents that were mentioned in the text of the main agreement. Nevertheless, the Verkhovna Rada, in the presence of the US chargé d'affaires in Ukraine Julie Davis, voted to ratify the agreement. Earlier, Trump noted that if Zelensky tries to “walk out of the deal“, he “will have big problems“.