Verkhovna Rada committee approved resource bondage: agreement with the U.S. was lobbied without public discussion

The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation has given the green light to ratify the so-called resource agreement with the United States—a document whose details remain classified and are raising increasing concerns among experts and the public.

This was reported by MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak from the Holos (Voice) party on his Telegram channel.

According to him, the committee inserted a provision into its decision that supposedly protects Ukrainian interests:

“Any additional agreements on the creation of a recovery fund cannot contradict this agreement. The agreement applies to the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.”

However, this wording appears more like a legal safeguard against future accusations of surrendering control over national resources, rather than a concrete protection of sovereignty.

Notably, the committee’s decision was not unanimous: 11 MPs voted in favor, 1 abstained and 2 refused to vote at all—indicating serious internal doubts, even among lawmakers.

What raises further alarm is that the agreement has already been scheduled for a full parliamentary vote on May 8, despite the fact that many key provisions remain undisclosed. As it emerged, the contents of two supplemental agreements, which directly affect the implementation of the main document, were only revealed today.

These circumstances have sparked justified concerns about transparency and potential hidden conditions that could harm Ukraine’s economy and sovereignty.

The presence of U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Julie Davis at the committee meeting only reinforced the impression of external pressure and the urgency with which Ukrainian authorities seem intent on pushing the agreement through—regardless of its implications for the country.

The pressing question now facing Ukrainian society is: who benefits from this agreement, if the Ukrainian people will learn its full terms only after the vote?