Kyiv, February 14 (Reuters) - Ukraine has completed the draft minerals agreement and returned it to the United States for review, according to two sources in the Ukrainian delegation who spoke to Reuters on Friday.
The sources revealed that the U.S. side requested until 5 p.m. (1600 GMT) to assess the agreement, which is central to Kyiv's efforts to secure the support of U.S. President Donald Trump to hasten an end to the conflict.
"One of the sources mentioned, 'The Ukrainian side presented its vision, and the U.S. side is taking a pause until 1700 to evaluate.'"
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and U.S. Vice President JD Vance were scheduled to meet in Munich on Friday morning, but the meeting was postponed to 5 p.m. upon the U.S. side's request, as per one of the sources.
When Vance was asked in Munich if there would be a minerals deal agreed upon between Washington and Kyiv on Friday, he responded, "let's see."
Kyiv expressed readiness for an agreement to open up its abundant mineral resources to U.S. investment, aiming to secure U.S. security guarantees in exchange for ending the conflict with Russia.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent visited Kyiv on Wednesday, presenting Ukraine with a draft agreement prepared by the United States, which Zelenskiy mentioned Kyiv would examine to potentially reach an agreement in Munich.
The contents of the deal are unclear, including whether the U.S. draft included security provisions that Ukraine urgently seeks to protect itself from possible Russian aggression if peace negotiations succeed.
President Trump, who has not confirmed his intention to continue critical military aid to Ukraine, has expressed interest in obtaining $500 billion in rare earth minerals from Kyiv, emphasizing the importance of ensuring Washington's support.
In a recent Reuters interview, Zelenskiy outlined the framework of a deal by showcasing a map displaying various mineral deposits, highlighting his proposal for a mutually beneficial partnership to jointly develop these resources rather than simply gifting them.