US 'Demands Control' Of Key Pipeline In Ukraine Used To Send Russian Gas To Europe: Report
The US has demanded control of a crucial pipeline in Ukraine which is used to transport gas from Russia to Europe, reported Reuters.
On Friday, officials from the US and Ukraine met to discuss White House proposals for a minerals deal.
Under the deal, US President Donald Trump wants Kyiv to hand over its natural resources as a "payback" for the weapons given by Washington during the previous Biden administration.
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As per the report, the talks have become increasingly acrimonious with the latest US draft being more "maximalist" than the original version from February. The earlier draft proposed giving the US $500 billion worth of rare metals, as well as oil and gas.
The report, quoting a source with knowledge of the matter, further stated that prospects for a breakthrough were scant given the meeting's "antagonistic" atmosphere.
US Demands Control Of Crucial Pipeline In Ukraine
One of the "Easter eggs" found in the document, the report said, was a demand by the US that its government's International Development Finance Corporation take control of a natural gas pipeline from Russian energy giant Gazprom that runs across Ukraine to supply energy to Europe.
The pipeline runs from the town of Sudzha in western Russia to the Ukrainian city of Uzhhorod, about 1,200 kilometres away, on the border with the European Union and Slovakia.
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It was built in Soviet times and is a key piece of national infrastructure and a major energy route.
On January 1, Ukraine had cut off the gas supply after its five-year contract with Gazprom expired. Both countries have previously earned hundreds of millions of euros in transit fees, including the first three years of full-scale war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that a mineral deal should be profitable for both countries and could be structured in a way that helps modernise Ukraine.
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