The draft agreement calling for Ukraine to hand over US revenues from natural resources includes a new language that references security assurances.
However, the references are vague and do not indicate a particular American commitment to protecting Ukraine's safety.
A copy of the contract obtained by the New York Times on Wednesday included the statement that the United States “supports Ukrainian efforts to obtain the security guarantees necessary to establish lasting peace.” Previous drafts did not include a phrase about security assurance.
It was not clear whether Tuesday's draft was the final version.
Ukrainian officials explained the draft and confirmed that several Ukrainian people with knowledge of consultations contained security language in the document. They discussed terms of anonymity to discuss private negotiations.
The agreement is seen as aiding war efforts or enforcement of a ceasefire, opening the door to possible support from the United States under the Trump administration. US and Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday that the version had been accepted by both sides.
At a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, President Trump said Ukrainian President Volodimia Zelensky would visit Washington on Friday to sign the contract.
Speaking to Kiev reporters on Wednesday, Zelensky said the inclusion of a security guarantee reference was a priority for him in negotiations and that it is necessary for Ukraine to make the deal successful.
“I really wanted the phrase “Ukrainian security guarantee” to come at least,” Zelensky said. The phrase “it's important to appear in point 10 and be there,” he said.
He said he was pleased that the transaction was not framed as a repayment of past support. He said it was important in the agreement that the Ukrainians were not presented as “debtors.”
The draft obtained by the Times was presented as the first signatories by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent and Ukrainian Economic Minister Yulia Swillidenko.
Earlier on Wednesday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Dennis Schmichal spoke about a new phrase on security assurance that suggests the US had not been added to its inclusion request. Schmihal said neither Zelensky nor other Ukrainian government officials would sign a deal if the phrase was omitted and it was called an “essential element” to the mineral agreement.
Zelensky had proposed a deal last fall that would grant the US access to mineral wealth in case Trump wins the US election. However, Ukrainian leaders balked at the terms presented earlier this month after Trump took office.
Zelensky was pushing for Ukraine's commitment to security to be detailed in the document. In exchange, Ukraine will donate half of its future natural resource revenue to a US-controlled fund.
The Trump administration resisted the demand. Washington officials argued that the security guarantee holds financial interests in Ukrainian metal ores, minerals, oil and natural gas, and that such an agreement would provide an incentive to prevent the occupation of Russia's resources.
US national security adviser Mike Waltz told Fox News last week that for Ukrainians, US involvement in natural resources is “the best security guarantee they can ever expect and is more than another palette of ammunition.”
Tuesday's draft includes the previous phrase that the US will “take steps to protect mutual investments,” meaning America's commitment to protecting resource deposit sites. Some of them are close to the forefront.
Trump had been seeking $500 billion in return for his previous deal on American aid. That number was included in previous drafts, Kyiv's shocked official, and was removed from later versions.
A Ukrainian official briefed on the draft said Trump administration negotiators had tried to exclude phrases on security assurance from previous versions, claiming that the language is beyond negotiations over mineral rights. It was added only to the draft later in the negotiations, officials said.
It was unclear whether the new phrasing suggests support for US security assurances or Ukraine's continued diplomatic efforts.
British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer is scheduled to travel to Washington on Wednesday, leading Trump to a peacekeeping force of 30,000 people. European leaders say such forces will demand a “backstop” of American military aid, including US satellite surveillance, air defense and air force support.
Other conditions for the beyond-security draft have changed little from Monday's previous draft. The Ukrainian government agreed to abandon half of its revenues from future monetization of natural resources such as minerals, oil and gas, to half of its revenue from monetization from related infrastructure such as liquefied natural gas terminals and port infrastructure. The fund does not withdraw revenue from existing natural resource businesses such as mines and oil wells.
These revenues will meet funds that hold the “maximum” percentage of ownership and control that the United States is permitted by US law. It is unclear how that will be interpreted.
In comments to a Kiev reporter on Wednesday, Zelensky also mentioned negotiations for a ceasefire that Trump said was involved with Russia. The Ukrainian forces will continue to fight, Zelensky said, unless the ceasefire includes security guarantees.
Zelensky said he would not accept the agreement without involvement in Ukraine, but he did not clearly show that Ukrainian forces could continue the fight if the terms were not met in consultation.
“Ukraine is in a very difficult position,” said Oleksiy Melnik, security analyst and co-director at the Razumkov Center of the analytics group, Kyiv.
“Now, Ukraine is under double pressure as it appears to be changing aspects as one of the key partners we considered our strategic partner,” he said. “What Donald Trump has done so far is something no one in Ukraine had hoped for. The choice is that Ukraine says no and faces potential consequences, or that Ukraine must accept the terms of settlement of US-Russia talks.
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