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Editor's note: The story has been updated with a statement from European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier, in which he denied that there is a separate EU proposal for Ukraine on rare earths.
European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier denied on Feb. 25 that the EU had allegedly offered Ukraine its own deal on minerals.
"There is no proposal," Regnier said, adding that since 2021, the EU has had a partnership on critical raw materials with Ukraine, formalized through the Memorandum of Understanding.
The day prior, AFP reported that the EU has offered Ukraine its own deal on the country's natural resources, describing it as "mutually beneficial" and a "win-win partnership."
The European Commissioner for industrial strategy, Stephane Sejourne allegedly said he'd offered Kyiv an alternative to that proposed by the U.S. while on a visit to Ukraine to mark the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Regnier confirmed that during his visit to Kyiv, Sejourne met with his Ukrainian counterparts. According to Regnier, Sejourne "reaffirmed the EU's commitment to implement the Memorandum of Understanding," but did not present any new proposals.
"As with all the EU critical raw materials partnerships that we have, this cooperation is not only about securing supply chains for the EU but also about fostering local value creation and capacity building in partner countries, ensuring mutual benefits," Regnier said.
"This is about cooperation with Ukraine and not about any sort of competition with the U.S.," he added.
Negotiations on a deal to entrench U.S. interests in Ukraine's reserves are ongoing, with the latest draft presented by the White House reportedly demanding $500 billion of Ukraine's natural resources, including critical minerals, to recuperate American aid to Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has so far refused to sign the deal because it does not contain any security guarantees for Ukraine and because the $500 billion sum vastly outnumbers the $100 billion provided under former President Joe Biden as a grant.
U.S. President Donald Trump previously reiterated his push for a deal between the U.S. and Ukraine, arguing that it would help Kyiv's economy while ensuring that Washington "recoups the tens of billions of dollars and military equipment sent to Ukraine."
During a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House, Trump said he may soon meet President Volodymyr Zelensky to sign the agreement.
He added that he expects Zelensky to visit Washington "this week or next week."
Andrea Januta
