INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday a landmark minerals deal with the United States offered "equal" benefits for both sides
even though the accord offered no concrete security guarantees for Kyiv.Russia later launched a large-scale drone attack on the central
industrial city of Zaporizhzhia, ripping open a Soviet-era residential building and wounding 14 people after Zelensky urged allies to step
up pressure on Moscow to end its invasion.The agreement, which has taken months to negotiate, would see Washington and Kyiv jointly develop
and invest in Ukraine's critical mineral resources.The agreement "changed significantly" during negotiations, Zelensky said in an
address."Now it is a truly equal agreement that creates an opportunity for quite significant investment in Ukraine.""There is no debt in the
to sign the agreement in February, but a White House clash between United States President Donald Trump and Zelensky derailed the
talks.Ukraine hopes the deal will pave the way for the United States to give security guarantees as it seeks to safeguard against future
Russian attacks following Moscow's invasion.The agreement still needs to be ratified by Ukraine's parliament.Trump initially described the
arrangement as "money back" for the wartime aid Ukraine received under his predecessor Joe Biden.Ukraine says the agreement is not linked to
any past "debt," however, and United States officials stressed that the accord signaled United States support for Ukraine.Under the deal,
Ukraine and the United States will establish a joint Reconstruction Investment Fund.Profits from the agreement will be invested exclusively
in Ukraine for the first 10 years, after which profits "may be distributed between the partners," Kyiv said.The new agreement does not give
any specific United States security commitments, but Washington argues that boosting its business interests in Ukraine will help deter
Russia.Moscow has kept up its attacks on Ukraine unabated, despite Trump's efforts to broker a ceasefire.
