Ukraine, US sign minerals deal sought by Trump

On Wednesday, Ukraine and the U.S. finalized an agreement strongly advocated by U.S. President Donald Trump, which will grant the United States preferential access to emerging Ukrainian mineral contracts and provide funding for Ukraine’s rebuilding efforts.

The two nations finalized the agreement in Washington following months of often tense discussions, with uncertainty lingering until the very end due to reports of a last-minute issue. The agreement creates a collaborative investment fund for rebuilding Ukraine as Trump seeks to achieve a peace resolution in Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine that has lasted three years.

The accord is vital to Kyiv’s attempts to restore relations with Trump and the White House, which deteriorated after he assumed office in January. Ukrainian officials have expressed optimism that the agreement would guarantee ongoing U.S. backing for Ukraine’s defense against Russia.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko were depicted signing the agreement in a photo shared on X by the Treasury, which noted that the deal “clearly indicates the Trump Administration’s dedication to a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine.”

Svyrydenko wrote on X that the accord provides for Washington to contribute to the fund.

“In addition to direct financial contributions, it may also provide NEW assistance – for example air defense systems for Ukraine,” she said. Washington did not directly address that suggestion.

Before the signing, Trump repeated on Wednesday that the U.S. should get something for its aid to Kyiv, thus the effort to secure a deal for Ukraine’s plentiful deposits of rare earth minerals.

In announcing the deal, the U.S. Treasury said the partnership recognized “the significant financial and material support that the people of the United States have provided to the defense of Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion.”