Donald Trump pushes for near-total control of Ukraine’s minerals and energy in huge increase on earlier demands
27 March 2025, 20:03 | Updated: 27 March 2025, 20:04
US President Donald Trump is trying to force through a new deal that would see America gain control Ukraine’s critical minerals and energy assets in a major expansion on his previous demands.
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A new draft US deal sent to Kyiv on Sunday reportedly sets out the fresh requirements, which include no security guarantees for Ukraine, The Financial Times reports.
Senior Ukrainian officials told the outlet the proposal could undermine the country's sovereignty and ramp up its dependence on the US.
The draft reportedly states that the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund will control Ukraine’s “critical minerals or other minerals, oil, natural gas (including liquified [sic] natural gas), fuels or other hydrocarbons and other extractable materials”.
It says the US will also control infrastructure linked to natural resources “including, but not limited to, roads, rail, pipelines and other transportation assets; ports, terminals and other logistics facilities and refineries, processing facilities, natural gas liquefaction and/or regasification facilities and similar assets”.
The new draft mark a huge increase on Trump's demands in an initial minerals deal accord drawn up earlier this month.
Read more: Starmer seeks deal with US to avoid trade war after Trump’s car tariff blow
Alan Riley, an expert on energy law at the Atlantic Council, said he has "never seen anything like it before".
He told The Telegraph: “There are no guarantees, no defence clauses, the US puts up nothing.
“The Americans can walk away, the Ukrainians can’t. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
The doors were slammed shut on a previous deal that would have seen the US gain control of Ukraine's raw minerals, which was put on ice following Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's bust-up in the Oval Office.
But since the pair have made amends, Trump's demands have appeared to ramp up.
The US President sparked controversy last week when he suggested the US could take ownership of Ukraine's nuclear power plants in a shock move he says would protect the country against further Russian attacks.
Trump said during a phone call with Zelenskyy: “The United States could be very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise.”
It comes as the President scrambles to claw back billions of dollars’ worth of military assistance and put an end to Russia's three-year war.
Speaking exclusively with LBC, the Conservative MP told Ben Kentish that Trump's desire for a "quick" deal "could be problematic because Vladimir Putin, without a doubt, is going to play off that urgency."
"I think Putin is going to try and harvest as much advantage for himself and for Russia out of President Trump's desire to do this quickly. And often you find the more patient negotiator gets the best result," he said.
He also warned that should Putin attempt to humiliate Trump with his evasive tactics, Trump could take a "very different posture".
Russia and the US have found common ground on peace agreements while tensions with Ukraine deepen.
Meanwhile, Britain and its allies are waiting for the US' approval for its plan for a "reassurance force" of troops to keep the peace in Ukraine once the war ends.
Britain and France confirmed on Thursday they are drawing up plans to send a "reassurance force" to Ukraine and will soon send military chiefs to the country to determine the scheme’s viability.
This week, the White House said the US and Russia agreed to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea.
The United States added it had made separate agreements with Ukraine and Russia to ensure all navigation through the area is protected and risks minimised.
The deal is said to ban the use of air strikes against energy facilities in both countries as part of a wider ceasefire effort.
Kyiv and Moscow agreed in principle earlier this month to a limited ceasefire after Trump spoke with the countries' leaders, but the parties have offered different views of what targets would be off-limits to attack.
