From Grok:
The claim that the U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal has already been ratified by the Ukrainian Parliament and can be completed without Zelensky's signature requires careful examination, as the available information does not fully support this as a definitive fact. Here's an analysis based on what is known as of March 1, 2025:
The minerals deal between the U.S. and Ukraine, often referred to in the context of critical minerals and rare earth elements, has been a subject of intense negotiation. Reports indicate that a framework agreement was reached by late February 2025, with the intent to establish a Reconstruction Investment Fund leveraging Ukraine's natural resources. This framework was described as a preliminary step, with a subsequent "Fund Agreement" requiring ratification by the Ukrainian Parliament (the Verkhovna Rada) under Ukrainian law, specifically the Law of Ukraine "On International Treaties of Ukraine." Zelensky himself noted on February 26, 2025, that this framework was agreed upon but emphasized that the full agreement still hinged on further talks, particularly regarding security guarantees, and that parliamentary ratification was a necessary step for the comprehensive package.
However, there is no clear, conclusive evidence in the available sources that the Ukrainian Parliament had already ratified the deal by March 1, 2025, such that it could be completed without Zelensky's signature. Several news outlets, including the Kyiv Independent and AP, reported that the framework was in place by late February, and Trump announced Zelensky's planned visit to Washington on February 28, 2025, to sign a deal. Yet, after a contentious meeting on February 28, the White House confirmed the deal was not signed, suggesting unresolved issues. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated on February 25 that a "final version" had been agreed upon, but he tied its implementation to security guarantees, implying further steps were needed.
The claim that ratification had already occurred and that the deal could proceed without Zelensky's signature seems to stem from posts on X and possibly misinterpretations of the process. Ukrainian law typically requires the president to sign international agreements into effect after parliamentary ratification, especially for binding treaties. The minerals deal, as described, involves a two-stage process: a bilateral framework (which may not require parliamentary approval if non-binding) and a detailed Fund Agreement (which does). Without official confirmation from Ukrainian governmental sources or the Verkhovna Rada's recordsnone of which are explicitly cited in the available data as having completed ratification by March 1it's premature to assert that the deal is fully ratified and enforceable without Zelensky.
What's being overlooked, or perhaps overstated, is the distinction between the framework and the final agreement. The framework might not need Zelensky's signature to exist as a preliminary accord, but the operational Fund Agreement, which involves significant resource commitments, likely does require both parliamentary ratification and presidential approval to be legally binding. Posts on X claiming the Parliament had already ratified "the mineral deal" may conflate these stages or assume a ratification vote occurred without public documentation.
In conclusion, it's not definitively true that the deal has been ratified by the Ukrainian Parliament and can be completed without Zelensky's signature based on current evidence. The process appears incomplete as of March 1, 2025, with ratification still pending or unclear, and Zelensky's role remains critical under Ukrainian legal norms. More concrete updates from official Ukrainian or U.S. sources would be needed to confirm the status. Posts on X suggesting otherwise reflect sentiment or speculation rather than verified fact.
