Framework economic deal with US ready but security guarantees undecided: President Zelenskyy

Kyiv, Feb 26: A framework economic deal with the United States is ready, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday, but security guarantees that Kyiv views as vital remain to be decided and a full agreement could hinge on talks in Washington as early as Friday.
The framework deal is a first step toward a comprehensive agreement that will be subject to ratification by Ukraine’s parliament, Zelenskyy said during a news conference in Kyiv.
Ukraine needs to know where the United States stands on its continued military support, Zelenskyy said.
He said expects to have a wide-ranging substantive conversation with US President Donald Trump during a visit to Washington.
“I want to coordinate with the US,” Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy said that the main topics that he wants to discuss with Trump are whether the US plans to halt military aid and, if so, whether Ukraine would be able to purchase weapons directly from the US.
He also wants to know whether Ukraine can use frozen Russian assets for weapons investments and whether Washington plans to lift sanctions on Russia.
Earlier, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed that Ukraine and the United States have reached preliminary agreement on a broad economic deal that includes US access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals amid its war with Russia.
After days of negotiations, Ukraine and the US will sign the preliminary agreement, but with further details of a full agreement – including US security guarantees that Kyiv officials view as vital – still to be worked out, Shmyhal said on Ukrainian public television.
Since returning to office last month, Trump let Ukraine know that he wanted something in return for tens of billions of dollars in US help to fend off the full-scale invasion that Russia launched just over three years ago on February 24, 2022.
Trump has abruptly ditched some previous Washington policies. He scrapped efforts to isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin and cast doubt on US support for its European allies. That has brought momentous geopolitical shifts that could reset the war’s path this year.
The preliminary agreement sets out the terms and conditions of an investment fund for the rebuilding of Ukraine, Shmyhal said. (AP)