Ukraine and the United States are approaching the signing of an important document that, according to officials, does not pose a threat to Kyiv’s European integration plans
This was stated by Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal during the "United News" telethon on April 30, during which he confirmed that the nearly finalized draft of the subsoil agreement with Washington does not conflict with Ukraine’s commitments toward European integration. According to the head of government, this document outlines a cooperation framework with the USA that fully aligns with Ukraine’s course toward accession to the European Union and does not create additional obstacles for Ukraine's EU membership. "This agreement is fully consistent with our obligations regarding European integration and does not interfere with our commitments under the Association Agreement and the candidate status for EU accession," the Prime Minister emphasized. Shmyhal also added that the signing of the agreement could take place in the coming days, and to support this, Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko has already traveled to the U.S. capital. This announcement comes amid unmistakable signals of an active intensification of bilateral negotiations between Kyiv and Washington regarding promising areas of cooperation. It is worth recalling that on April 17, Ukrainian and American delegations signed a memorandum of intent to finalize the legal formalization of a promising agreement that envisions the creation of cooperation mechanisms in the fields of economy and investment. Notably, the agreement includes a dedicated section for the development of an Investment Fund for Ukraine’s reconstruction, aimed at attracting foreign capital and supporting the economy during this challenging period. It should be emphasized that work on this document should not affect Ukraine’s European integration path. This explains why the signing of the subsoil agreement with the USA is regarded as an additional step in partnership, not an obstacle to EU membership. Overall, this process demonstrates Ukraine’s desire to maximize cooperation with the USA, utilizing bilateral dialogue to support economic stability and reforms in the country. Publicly, Ukrainian politicians stress that the signing of such agreements poses no risks to their European integration plans, and that all cooperation must occur within the framework of commitments to meet obligations to the European community.