Edit: I meant to leave this empty to start, but to clarify now that there’s other discussion:
“Access to minerals” doesn’t necessarily mean “discounted” or “mineral rights”. It could be a deal consisting of:
- Military aid goes to EU defence industry supplies
- In exchange, EU gets first dibs at market rate contracts (with some tax-exempt on on the EU side for imports to make it more appealing to take advantage of on both sides) for metals/mineral extraction.
This could help spur Ukraine’s post-war economy, integration with EU markets, and benefit the EU defence industry. It would also demonstrate what a real and fair deal looks like.
I think what Ukraine needs most is a stable and secure environment. Nobodly wants to invest in an area where there could be war next month.