US-Ukraine minerals deal: What is known so far
Washington and Kiev are set to sign a major mineral resources agreement, which US President Donald Trump has been pushing for months. Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Sviridenko has flown to the US to seal the deal, Prime Minister Denis Shmigal said on Wednesday, adding that the document should be signed within 24 hours.
Neither the US nor Ukraine have officially presented the details to the public yet. Reuters, which claims to have seen a draft of the document, reported that it would involve creating a joint fund that would receive half of all profits the Ukrainian government gets from any new natural resources permits issued in Ukraine. The document reportedly does not specify how the money will be spent or who controls the spending decisions.
The agreement would provide the US with preferential access to any new Ukrainian resource deals but would not give it direct control over Ukraine’s mineral resources or gas infrastructure, according to Reuters. Kiev also reportedly refused to include any requirements that it pay the US back for billions of dollars spent on military assistance. America can still count any new military aid as its contribution to the joint fund, according to Shmigal.
The two sides have reportedly hit a last-minute snag, according to sources cited by Reuters and CNN. Washington reportedly insists on signing two technical documents detailing certain provisions of the deal along with the agreement. Kiev insists that the agreement must first be ratified by the Ukrainian parliament before other documents can be signed, according to the Financial Times.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Ukraine sought to make last-minute changes to the already agreed deal. “We’re sure they’ll reconsider that. We are ready to sign this afternoon, but they aren’t,” he told journalists.
Trump stated that “we’ve made a deal where our money is secure where we can start digging and do what we have to do.” It is unclear if he was referring to the original US proposal or the final deal. The White House has yet to make an official announcement.
