Trump asks Ukraine to hand over key pipeline carrying Russian gas: Report

The United States has reportedly demanded control of a critical gas pipeline in Ukraine, escalating tensions over a proposed minerals-for-weapons agreement that Kyiv officials have described as a "colonial shakedown". The talks, held on Friday between US and Ukrainian officials, have grown increasingly strained, with the latest version of Washington's proposal being described as "much more maximalist" than earlier drafts.

According to a Reuters report citing sources close to the negotiations, the revised US proposal includes a demand that the Development Finance Corporation, a US government agency, take control of a major Soviet-era natural gas pipeline. The pipeline runs from Sudzha in western Russia to the Ukrainian city of Uzhhorod near the Slovakian border, serving as a vital conduit for Russian gas supplies to Europe.

The pipeline has been out of operation since January 1, when Ukraine's five-year contract with Russia's state energy firm Gazprom expired. The contract's termination halted gas flow and suspended hundreds of millions of euros in transit fees previously shared by both countries, even during the ongoing war.

The latest developments come as former US President Donald Trump pushes for a sweeping deal that would give American companies access to Ukraine's vast mineral resources, including rare earth metals, oil, and gas. The new terms reportedly no longer include additional weapons or security assurances for Ukraine in exchange.

Instead, Trump is said to be demanding control over infrastructure and mineral rights as "payback" for previous military aid delivered by the Biden administration.

Last autumn, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy floated the idea of granting the US access to Ukraine's underdeveloped mineral sector in return for military support.

However, Trump has reportedly expressed frustration with the pace of negotiations, accusing Zelenskyy of trying to "back out of an agreement." The former president allegedly warned that Ukraine's leader would face "big problems" if he failed to sign.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Zelenskyy stated, "I am just defending what belongs to Ukraine. It should be beneficial for both the United States and Ukraine. This is the right thing to do." He said he was ready to modernise Ukraine's infrastructure but insisted on a "parity" deal with revenues split "50-50". The US Treasury has confirmed that "technical" talks remain ongoing.

Volodymyr Landa, a senior economist at Kyiv's Centre for Economic Strategy, criticised the US stance. "The Americans are out for all they can get," he said, adding that the demands resemble "colonial-type" pressure and are unlikely to be accepted.

Amid the tensions, US special envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg has attempted to walk back controversial comments made in an interview with The Times, in which he reportedly proposed a partition of Ukraine "almost like Berlin after World War Two". In a post on X, Kellogg wrote, "My remarks were misinterpreted. I was referring to a post-ceasefire resiliency force in support of Ukraine's sovereignty - not partition."

Meanwhile, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Friday. According to sources, Witkoff floated a proposal to hand Russia the four Ukrainian provinces it demands - including some still under Kyiv's control and home to over one million people.

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