NEW YORK, March 31. /TASS/. The US-Ukraine agreement on mineral reserves, if signed, will be somewhat similar to the penal agreements that European colonizers made with the peoples of African countries, Bloomberg reports.

According to the agency, the US access to Ukrainian subsoil resources is now taking "a form worthy of Belgium’s 19th century exploitation of the Congo, while offering Ukraine no security guarantees whatsoever."

The new draft deal obliges Kiev to repay more than $120 billion in aid. Through a special fund, the US will gain control over half of Ukraine's oil and gas reserves, all of its metals, and most of its infrastructure, including railroads, ports, pipelines, and factories. The US will receive all revenue contributions until Kiev repays at least $100 billion, with a 4% surcharge. Only then will Ukraine begin receiving 50% of the revenue sharing.

These conditions are harsher than the previous ones. The earlier proposal collapsed following a scandal during a meeting between Vladimir Zelensky and the US leadership at the White House. The initiative for the deal initially came from Kiev, as Ukrainian authorities sought to draw the attention of US President Donald Trump—who was skeptical about aiding Kiev—to Ukraine's assets in hopes of securing continued arms deliveries.

Zelensky confirmed that the US had submitted a new draft agreement, while Kiev clarified that they are still formulating their position. Afterwards, Trump warned that if Zelensky refuses to sign it, he will have "big, big problems."