US and Ukraine to Sign Landmark Minerals Deal
Ukraine is preparing to finalize a long-anticipated minerals agreement with the United States, with First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko in Washington for the signing according to Ukrainian officials. After months of stalled talks, a key breakthrough came when the US agreed not to count previous military aid as part of the deal. Instead, only future support will go toward the partnership, which aims to boost Ukraine’s mining and energy sectors and create a joint investment fund.
The deal, encouraged by President Trump, is seen as a strategic move to solidify American support for Kyiv and help rebuild the war-torn country. “It’s not just good for the United States to recoup the billions of tax dollars we’ve spent... but certainly it’s good for the Ukrainian people when this war is over,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. The agreement is expected to give Washington priority access to profits from Ukraine’s mineral resources through a reconstruction fund.
Legal fine-tuning continues, particularly to ensure the terms don’t clash with Ukraine’s EU ambitions. But officials on both sides have expressed optimism. “We think that the teams have done good work and the deal is much better for both countries,” said one Ukrainian official, as final details are being ironed out before the expected signing later today.
