FM Lipavský:Minerals deal shows Kyiv is ready for peace talks

The Ukraine-US minerals deal, signed on Wednesday, proves that Kyiv is ready for peace talks, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said in a statement for the ctk news agency, pointing out that it is now 50 days since Ukraine accepted the US ceasefire proposal. Russia, on the other hand, continues to prevaricate and is clearly stalling the peace talks, Lipavský said.

The minerals deal signed by the US and Ukraine is expected to give Washington access to the country’s critical minerals and other natural resources. Kyiv hopes it will secure long-term US support for its defense against Russia. According to Ukrainian officials the agreement signed on Wednesday is far more beneficial to Ukraine than previous versions, which they said reduced Kyiv to a junior partner and gave Washington unprecedented rights to the country’s resources. It also envisages the setting up of a reconstruction fund for Ukraine.