Such a level of secrecy surrounding the mineral agreement with the US is explained by the fact that they are now approaching it very carefully, understanding what awaits this agreement in fact. And only after the agreement is ready from the side of Ukraine and from the side of the United States of America, it will be possible to enter into a broad discussion regarding individual details. After all, ratification will go through the Ukrainian parliament, where it will be carefully studied.
This was stated on the air of "Apostrophe TV" by Bohdan Kitsak, a People's Deputy of Ukraine from the "Servant of the People" faction.
When asked if this was a restart of negotiations, he replied:
"Is this a restart or not a restart, because there is a huge amount of work done. Here it was just about agreeing on the positions with which we enter and with which the Americans enter. Now we have managed to find common tracks along which the two countries will move in parallel. Because before that there was a lot of diverse information. The United States of America had too high expectations from this agreement and put forward demands to Ukraine that we could not accept as a basis, because in fact this would mean the loss of Ukraine's economic sovereignty."
The people's representative also explains why these negotiations are so secretive:
"Unfortunately, we have seen an example where individual representatives, including those of the Ukrainian parliament, are throwing unverified information into the information space, and this is very much stirring up this discourse in Ukrainian society, which, ultimately, harms the overall process."
Kitsak emphasizes that after the agreement is ready on the part of Ukraine and the United States of America, "and when they shake hands," then it will be possible to talk and engage in a broad discussion regarding the individual details of this agreement.
"Because we know that the two sides have already stated that ratification will go through the Ukrainian parliament. And there, absolutely everyone will study this agreement from top to bottom, " he emphasizes. " If there are any points that will potentially threaten and will not be beneficial for us, then accordingly this agreement simply will not be ratified and this work will be done in vain. Therefore, they are approaching this very scrupulously now, understanding that this agreement is actually expected, both in the Ukrainian parliament and in the American Senate and Congress, which also needs approval there."
As a reminder, on April 18, the text of the memorandum between the United States of America and Ukraine on intentions to conclude a formal agreement on economic partnership and a reconstruction investment fund was published .