The open battle between the EU and the US over Ukrainian mineral resources begins

The EU Commission has announced that it expects Ukraine to supply the EU with its graphite and lithium. This is in direct conflict with the commodities deal that Trump wants to strike with Kiev, which the EU now says could block Ukraine’s accession to the EU.

The EU is now also openly laying claim to Ukrainian natural resources. A few days ago, EU Commissioner for Industry Stéphane Sejourné stated that the EU had already concluded a memorandum of understanding with Ukraine on critical resources in 2021 and that the EU was insisting that this be implemented. The EU Commission has now followed up on this and announced that it expects Kiev to deliver all of Ukraine’s lithium and graphite to the EU.

However, this contradicts the raw materials deal that Trump wants to make with Ukraine, in which the US wants to de facto secure access to all Ukrainian mineral resources and all of Ukraine's infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, as Bloomberg reported today in an article .

In the article, Bloomberg also wrote, citing sources, that Trump's commodities deal is an obstacle to EU accession because Trump is using the deal to gain so much influence over the Ukrainian economy that it will be unacceptable and even unrealistic for the EU to allow Ukraine into the EU.

Bloomberg must have had good sources, because a few hours later the EU Commission spokeswoman confirmed just that. The EU is now openly demanding its share of Ukraine’s natural resources and is openly confronting Trump on the issue.

The Russian news agency TASS reported on the statements made by the EU Commission spokeswoman at a press conference in Brussels:

EU Commission: Ukraine-US raw materials deal to be assessed in the context of EU accession

EU Commission spokeswoman Paula Pinho declined to comment on claims that the document would de facto mean the transfer of all Ukrainian raw materials to the US.

The EU Commission has informed Kyiv that the raw materials agreement with the US should be analyzed in light of Kyiv's fulfillment of its obligations towards the EU as part of the accession process, EU Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho said at a press conference in Brussels.

“Ukraine has been informed that this agreement should be analyzed from the perspective of EU-Ukraine relations, in particular in the context of EU accession negotiations,” she said, stressing that the EU Commission “is open to consultations with Kyiv on the implications of the US agreement.” At the same time, she said, Ukraine “has not raised any concrete questions on this issue.”

She also declined to comment on claims that the deal would mean virtually all of Ukraine's resources would come under US control.

Pinho confirmed that the Ukrainian government is “in constant contact with EU Commission officials at all levels.”

EU awaits deliveries of graphite and lithium

Stéphane Sejourné, the EU commissioner responsible for European industry, had previously stated that the EU expects Ukraine to implement the 2021 Memorandum of Understanding on Critical Resources, which states that the EU expects to receive a number of resources from Ukraine that are important for European industry. In particular, Brussels hopes to cover 10 percent of total European demand for graphite with supplies from Ukraine.

In addition, the EU Commission wants to import all lithium that can be extracted there from Ukraine, because it is “of central importance to the European battery industry.”

Vladimir Selensky had reported earlier that the US had handed over a new draft agreement on mineral resources to Ukraine, which also detailed the terms of establishing a fund for the country's reconstruction. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that the US and the Kiev government could sign an agreement on economic cooperation, including in the field of raw materials, as early as next week.

The agreement concerns the revenues of the Ukrainian budget from the development of all minerals on Ukrainian territory. Kiev will owe Washington about 120 billion dollars. The US will have control over the investment fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

The European Commission has announced that it wants to take control of international funds for Ukraine's reconstruction from 2023.