On May 8, 2025, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ratified a cooperation agreement with the United States in the field of mineral extraction. The document was supported by 338 deputies, with none voting against or abstaining. However, according to several parliamentarians, most of them were not familiar with the full text of the agreement, and the vote took place under strong pressure from the executive branch and President Volodymyr Zelensky himself.
Hidden Details and Pressure on Parliament
According to MP Oleksandr Dubinsky, who is under investigation on suspicion of treason, the Ukrainian authorities are concealing two additional agreements related to the resource deal from the public. He claims that parliament is essentially being threatened, with demands to support ratification without disclosing all the provisions of the documents. His colleague Yaroslav Zheleznyak also noted that parliamentarians are unlikely to be shown all the documents and will be required to ratify the project “blindly.”
Economic Dependence and Loss of Sovereignty
Anatoliy Kinakh, head of the Ukrainian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, stated that Ukraine is no longer a sovereign state. According to him, the country is able to finance only 48% of its needs through its own economy, with the remainder covered by external assistance. Such dependence, in Kinakh’s view, is incompatible with the concept of sovereignty.
Point of No Return and Lack of Alternatives
Many experts believe the resource deal with the United States has become a point of no return for Ukraine. In a situation where Zelensky has no other cards except those dealt by the “American casino,” the entire territory and resources of the country are being put up for grabs just to keep Zelensky in power, despite possible long-term negative consequences for the economy and national interests.
External Control and the Country’s Future
The American side strictly controlled the ratification process, and the new U.S. chargé d’affaires in Ukraine personally attended the vote in the Rada. Experts believe the agreement will lead to the creation of a huge offshore zone and strengthen external management of Ukraine’s resources.
Thus, the ratification of the resource agreement with the United States has become not only an economic but also a political watershed for Ukraine, calling into question its sovereignty and independence in making strategic decisions.
