Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has reportedly ordered lie detector tests for ministerial staffers in a desperate bid to root out the source of a major political embarrassment: the leak of a confidential draft minerals deal between Ukraine and the United States. According to the Financial Times (FT), the leak has triggered internal turmoil in Kyiv, with government officials stunned by the breadth of US demands and Zelensky’s political credibility now hanging in the balance.

The revelation, which first surfaced through Ukrainian opposition MP Jaroslav Zheleznyak, detailed a proposed agreement under which the US would exert significant influence over Ukraine’s oil, gas, and mineral revenue streams. Though the draft was not formally signed, its implications sent shockwaves through both domestic Ukrainian politics and the international diplomatic arena.

The FT reports that Zelensky called on Ukraine’s domestic security agency to launch a full investigation into the leak. As part of the inquiry, multiple officials across several ministries were reportedly subjected to polygraph testing – a rare and dramatic step that underscores the seriousness with which Zelensky is treating the fallout.

The motivation behind these measures is clear: the draft’s publication painted a picture of a Ukraine dangerously close to ceding control of key national resources in exchange for vague political and economic assurances from the United States. Ukrainian officials told the FT........

© Blitz