Conditions have tightened: the U.S. has proposed a new version of the deal concerning Ukrainian minerals.

Kiev and Washington have initiated work on a new agreement regarding mineral extraction in Ukraine. Although the details of the deal are still unknown, media reports suggest that it will be even stricter than the previous one.

This is reported by NV, citing five sources who are involved in drafting the new version of the agreement. It is noted that the new draft was received on February 21 and is expected to unlock further cooperation between the parties.

Specifically, the publication states that Washington proposes to secure 100% ownership of the future fund and to divide contributions at a ratio of two to one. This means that Ukraine will contribute two-thirds of future revenues from extraction, while the Americans will provide one-third, which has already been given in the form of weapons. The proposed size of the fund is set at 500 billion, and the deal should cover not only minerals but also oil and gas. Revenues from ports are not included in the deal.

It is emphasized that the U.S. considers the deal purely commercial and does not want to include security guarantees. Additionally, they are not taking on any investment obligations. Kiev, on the other hand, proposes to reconsider the size of the fund and to ensure that its resources are exclusively used for investments in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, most experts involved in drafting the agreement note that it is currently more important to unlock further cooperation with the U.S. than to discuss the details of the agreement's implementation. They believe that discussions about specifics could drag on for a long time and might even take place with future U.S. presidents after Trump.

At the same time, the New York Times reports that the new draft agreement also includes provisions regarding revenues from territories currently occupied by Russia. The share of revenues from resources entering the fund from liberated territories will be 66 percent.

The revised proposal states that the U.S. could reinvest part of the revenues into Ukraine's post-war reconstruction, including by investing in the development of the country’s natural resources and infrastructure.

In light of this, there are already speculations that in its current form, the deal will not function effectively even after signing.

Recall that President Zelensky was offered an "enhanced" version of the agreement with the U.S. on rare earth metals. The new version of the agreement contains significant changes and complies with Ukrainian legislation.

The Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, states that work on signing the document will begin as early as Monday.