Astana hosts the eighth Congress of Religious Leaders for dialogue and opportunities
The eighth Congress of World and Traditional Religious Leaders has commenced in Astana, bringing together around 100 delegations from 60 countries....
Ukrainian officials stated on Friday that the terms of a proposed mineral deal with the United States remain unsettled, following reports that Washington is seeking all of Ukraine’s natural resource income until wartime aid is repaid.
The latest U.S. proposal would require Kyiv to direct all profits from a state-controlled resources fund to Washington until Ukraine has repaid all American military and financial aid, including interest.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko emphasized that Kyiv would not issue an official stance until a consensus is reached, warning that public discussions could be counterproductive. Meanwhile, Mykhailo Podolyak, an official in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, confirmed that negotiations were still ongoing.
The Trump administration, which has shifted U.S. policy towards a more neutral stance on the war, has pushed Ukraine to sign a deal granting Washington a stake in its natural resources. While Zelenskyy has expressed openness to an agreement, he insists it must not undermine Ukraine’s economic stability.
Sources familiar with the talks say the latest U.S. draft offers no security guarantees and mandates that all state and private resource revenues be funneled into a joint investment fund. The U.S. would have priority in purchasing extracted resources and reclaiming aid funds, with a 4% annual interest charge, before Ukraine could access any profits.
Ukraine’s 2024 budget includes substantial revenues from state-owned resources, with $1.2 billion from subsurface rent payments, $1.8 billion in state dividends, and $19.4 billion from state enterprise profits. Under the proposed deal, these funds would be managed by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, with a board controlled by a U.S.-majority panel.
Previous versions of the deal were reportedly more favorable to Ukraine, originally proposing a 50-50 revenue split on future profits from state-owned resources. However, negotiations have taken a tougher turn following Zelenskyy’s White House visit in February, during which Trump criticized him and temporarily suspended intelligence and military aid.
Trump has positioned the mineral deal as a way for the U.S. to recover its financial investments in Ukraine while fostering a long-term economic partnership. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who leads the negotiations, has indicated that Washington expects a signed agreement soon.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated demands for Ukraine’s disarmament and government restructuring, claiming Moscow holds the “strategic initiative” in the war. He praised Trump’s approach and signaled openness to peace talks, provided Russia’s conditions are met.
The White House has not confirmed specific details of the mineral deal but maintains that it would strengthen Ukraine’s economic ties with the U.S. and support long-term stability.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
At least eight people have died and more than 90 others were injured following a catastrophic gas tanker explosion on a major highway in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa district on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
The eighth Congress of World and Traditional Religious Leaders has commenced in Astana, bringing together around 100 delegations from 60 countries.
Russia and Belarus are rehearsing the launch of Russian tactical nuclear weapons as part of joint war games, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday.
The United States has named Afghanistan among the countries that it says have “failed demonstrably” to meet international counternarcotics obligations over the past year. President Donald Trump’s announcement, delivered to Congress on Monday, also included Bolivia, Burma, Colombia and Venezuela.
FBI director Kash Patel will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday on the Kirk murder case, Epstein records, and his leadership of the bureau.
A truck, a cache of explosives, and a pointed accusation: the case unfolding in Tbilisi has quickly become more than a domestic security matter. It now threatens to deepen the cracks in Georgia–Ukraine relations — ties once described as fraternal but increasingly defined by suspicion.
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