Eggs instead of lithium: Ukrainians were shocked by Trump’s proposed mineral resources deal – WP

The U.S.-proposed mineral resources agreement has shocked some Ukrainian officials and sparked reactions in European diplomatic circles. President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the Trump administration’s request for Ukraine to transfer 50% of its mineral resources.

This was reported by The Washington Post.

“A high-ranking Ukrainian official was stunned by the scale of the Trump administration’s demands. He compared it to how Europeans divided African colonies in the 18th century and noted that this could also lead to the rights to develop Ukraine’s resources being granted for decades without any guarantees that investors would actually begin extraction,” the newspaper wrote.

Ukrainian officials are working on a counterproposal that would still grant Washington greater access to the country’s natural resources but would also strengthen U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine.

Another Ukrainian official stated that the U.S. seeks control over rare metals and materials such as lithium, graphite, and uranium. However, according to the publication, Kyiv’s main objection was not these demands but the lack of security guarantees in the agreement.

Sources familiar with the negotiations told The Washington Post that Ukraine is drafting a counterproposal that would provide the U.S. with greater access to natural resources while also ensuring stronger security commitments from Washington.

One Ukrainian official revealed that the mineral resources proposal was delivered to Kyiv just four hours before U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent’s meeting with Zelensky. During the meeting, Bessent “insisted” on an immediate signing, but Zelensky refused. The newspaper states that he only had “a few minutes” to review the agreement.

At meetings in Munich, Ukraine informed the Trump administration that it could not legally transfer resources under the proposed terms but was exploring alternatives.

A senior Ukrainian official jokingly remarked that the country’s leadership was willing to do almost anything to maintain U.S. support, including “mass shipments of Ukrainian eggs.”

“The country has a surplus of eggs, and the leadership is aware of their rapidly rising cost in the United States,” the official said.

Earlier, Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko stated that the U.S. is demanding a “very strict” agreement from Kyiv, giving them control over Ukraine’s resources.