Government expert team to start work on minerals deal with U.S. on Monday – Stefanchuk

Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk stated this in a comment to NHK, as reported by Ukrinform.

According to the publication, Stefanchuk said that following Zelensky's meeting with U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, the Ukrainian government will have an expert team start from Monday working toward signing an agreement with the United States.

The Speaker noted that Ukraine is ready to collaborate with partners regarding its mineral resources but seeks specific security guarantees.

According to Stefanchuk, Ukraine intends to engage in constructive discussions and aims to hold a summit with the U.S. as soon as possible.

Regarding Trump's comments that Ukraine should hold presidential elections, Stefanchuk emphasized that Ukrainian law explicitly states that elections cannot be held during martial law.

"It will be impossible to conduct fair elections while Russia's invasion is continuing, as the military will not be able to participate," Stefanchuk stated.

The Speaker also noted that for the war to end, Russia must not only withdraw from Ukraine and return occupied territories but also take responsibility and pay reparations to all those affected by the war.

As previously reported by Ukrinform, during discussions on the minerals agreement, U.S. negotiators raised the issue of potentially restricting Ukraine's access to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet system.

Meanwhile, Sky News, citing a source, reported on Saturday that Kyiv is not ready to sign the agreement in its current form, as it "does not reflect a partnership but rather contains only unilateral obligations for Ukraine."