Zelensky-Vance meeting postponed as U.S. reviews Ukraine’s partnership draft

The meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference has been postponed to allow the U.S. time to review a draft memorandum of partnership submitted by Kyiv, a source in the Ukrainian President's Office told the Kyiv Independent on Feb. 14.

The postponement comes as the U.S. considers a proposed minerals agreement that could link future aid to Ukraine with access to its rare earth mineral reserves.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent delivered a draft of the agreement to Zelensky during a visit to Kyiv on Feb. 12. Ukraine finalized and handed over the memorandum to the U.S. side, which requested additional time to review the document until 5 p.m.

The draft memorandum is part of broader discussions on a potential minerals agreement, which U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested could involve access to Ukraine's mineral reserves in exchange for continued military and financial support.

Zelensky has expressed openness to such an arrangement, saying that Ukraine is willing to grant U.S. companies access to minerals in exchange for sustained support from Washington.

The proposed minerals agreement could mark a significant shift in U.S.-Ukraine relations, tying economic cooperation to security assistance.