The Trump administration is exerting greater pressure by proposing a new draft economic agreement that requires Ukraine to make more significant concessions in return for U.S. aid. The draft demands Ukraine to relinquish profits from future economic projects to offset the financial and military assistance provided by the U.S. since the conflict began in 2022. Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak publicly discussed the draft’s contents in a YouTube video and noted that passing the draft would be particularly challenging, especially when it comes to approval by the Ukrainian parliament.
The draft requires Ukraine to remit not only profits from mineral projects but also from oil and gas resources, impacting both state-owned and private enterprises. Unlike the previous framework agreement negotiated between Kyiv and Washington, the new version significantly increases the demands on Ukraine. This agreement was originally intended to be signed by Ukrainian President Zelensky and Trump before their meeting on February 28th.
The new draft would not only impose a substantial financial responsibility on Ukraine but could also affect the country's resource development and economic prospects. The amount requested by the Trump administration varies according to different estimates; Ukraine estimates U.S. aid at $100 billion, while Trump has repeatedly mentioned a figure of $350 billion. Trump demands Ukraine use the revenue from these resource projects to compensate for previous U.S. aid to maintain ongoing support.
This draft reflects stronger U.S. pressure on Ukraine, but the Ukrainian side has expressed concerns that the passage of this agreement could face significant challenges.
