The proposal for an agreement regarding rare earth elements was officially received by Ukraine from the US today, as reported by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski. Zelenski, during a press conference held in the capital city of Kiev, provided assessments on the recent developments related to the Russia-Ukraine War. Mentioning the preparation process of the expected agreement with the US concerning rare earth elements, Zelenski stated that work on the matter is ongoing. Zelenski conveyed that the draft agreement prepared by the US was officially delivered to them today, and mentioned that relevant experts would examine the document. Zelenski expressed that approval would be given to the agreement version suitable for the Ukrainian state, stating, “If the situation poses risks for us, I will certainly share them with our society without hiding anything.” Zelenski pointed out, “(According to the agreement) We will not accept debts, this is clear to me, I do not see them. At least for now, we are talking about the past. Any possibility, new support packages, then the US may impose certain terms.”

MONITORING THE CEASEFIRE IN THE BLACK SEA AND ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE Zelenski spoke about the agreement reached in Saudi Arabia in recent days towards achieving a ceasefire in the Black Sea and energy infrastructures. Emphasizing the necessity of a mechanism to monitor the ceasefire, Zelenski noted that without it, ceasefire agreements would not work. Zelenski stated that the US first evaluated this issue, and then they learned about consultations with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, as well as certain European countries, to be ready to conduct inspections. Zelenski argued that Saudi Arabia does not have the capabilities necessary to monitor the ceasefire in energy infrastructures, but he understood the logic that Turkey could be one of the countries capable of overseeing security in the Black Sea. In his speech, Zelenski also addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to appoint an interim administration for Ukraine to conduct democratic elections and negotiations to end the war. Describing Putin’s action as an attempt to prolong the war, Zelenski stated, “All he is doing is delaying the possibility of taking steps to negotiate and end the war.” Zelenski expressed readiness to negotiate with the opposition in Russia who favor the end of the war to bring the conflict to a close.