The US has demanded control of a crucial pipeline in Ukraine utilized for sending Russian gas to Europe, according to various reports, marking a move described as a colonial shakedown.
US and Ukrainian officials convened on Friday to discuss the White House’s proposals for a minerals deal.
Former President Donald Trump is pressuring Kyiv to cede its natural resources as “payback” in exchange for military weapons supplied by the previous Biden administration.
The negotiations have taken on a more acrimonious tone, as reported by Reuters.
The latest US draft proposal is deemed more “maximalist” than the initial version released in February, which suggested transferring $500 billion worth of rare metals, as well as oil and gas, to the US.
According to a source close to the discussions, the most recent draft includes a demand for the US government’s International Development Finance Corporation to take control of the vital natural gas pipeline.
This pipeline stretches from Sudzha in western Russia to Uzhhorod, a city in Ukraine located about 750 miles (1,200 km) away on the border with the EU and Slovakia.
Constructed during the Soviet era, this pipeline represents a crucial piece of national infrastructure and serves as a major energy conduit.
On January 1, Ukraine halted gas supplies after its five-year contract with Russian state energy company Gazprom expired.
Prior to this cessation, both nations had accrued hundreds of millions of euros in transit fees, including during the first three years of the ongoing war.
Volodymyr Landa, a senior economist at the Centre for Economic Strategy in Kyiv, asserted that the Americans were attempting to extract “all they can get.”
He characterized their demanding approach as akin to “colonial-type” bullying, predicting little chance of acceptance by Kyiv.
Last autumn, Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested granting the US access to Ukraine’s underdeveloped mineral sector.
His vision included a transactional agreement wherein the incoming Trump administration would provide military assistance to Ukraine in exchange for future profits arising from joint investments.
Contrarily, Trump has rejected any security assurances or military support while still aspiring for the minerals.
Last week, he expressed dissatisfaction, claiming Zelenskyy was attempting to “back out of an agreement” and warned that Ukraine’s president would face significant consequences if he failed to sign.
During a media briefing on Thursday, Zelenskyy expressed readiness to engage in a deal to modernize Ukraine, but emphasized that any agreement must maintain “parity” between both parties, with revenue split “50-50.”
“I am just defending what belongs to Ukraine.
It should be beneficial for both the United States and Ukraine.
This is the right thing to do,” Zelenskyy affirmed.
The US Treasury confirmed that “technical” talks are ongoing regarding the matter.
Meanwhile, US special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, clarified that his earlier remarks about a possible partition of Ukraine had been misconstrued.
In an interview with the Times, Kellogg suggested that the country could be compartmentalized “almost like Berlin after World War II” as part of a peace agreement.
Kellogg later emphasized on social media that he was referencing “a post-ceasefire resiliency force in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
Under this revised plan, Russian troops would remain in territories already occupied by Moscow, with British and French forces stationed in Kyiv and other regions.
On Friday, a special meeting of the Ukraine defense contact group resulted in Kyiv’s allies announcing a record €21 billion (£18.2 billion) in additional military aid.
These allies further accused Putin of stalling on a 30-day ceasefire deal that Ukraine has already accepted.
In a grim update, Russia carried out further air assaults against Ukrainian civilian targets early on Saturday.
Three warehouses were destroyed in Kyiv, resulting in two injuries.
Since the 11 March ceasefire proposal initiated by the US, Ukrainian officials report that the Kremlin has launched a total of 70 missiles and 2,200 drones at Ukraine.
image source from：https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/12/us-demands-control-from-ukraine-of-key-pipeline-carrying-russian-gas
