In a landmark ukraine minerals deal, the United States and Ukraine on Wednesday signed an economic partnership granting Washington access to Kyiv’s rich deposits of critical minerals—while ensuring full Ukrainian ownership—backed by the creation of a bilateral investment fund. The agreement, announced by the U.S. Treasury Department, caps months of fraught negotiations that at times threatened to derail vital military and economic aid to Ukraine.
Full Ukrainian Control Emphasized in Ukraine Minerals Deal
During the signing ceremony in Washington, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent underscored the strategic importance of the pact. “This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump Administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term,” he said. Bessent added a stern warning: “No state or person who financed or supplied the Russian war machine will benefit from Ukraine’s reconstruction.”
Ukraine’s Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who signed on behalf of Kyiv, posted on X that the deal preserves “full ownership and control” for Ukraine. “All resources on our territory and in territorial waters belong to Ukraine,” she affirmed. “Subsoil remains under Ukrainian ownership—this is clearly established in the Agreement.”
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Key Terms of the Minerals Deal
The agreement lays out several core provisions:
- Sovereign Extraction Rights: Ukraine retains exclusive authority to decide “what and where to extract.”
- Joint Investment Fund: Both countries will contribute equally to a new fund dedicated to Ukrainian reconstruction and development.
- Military Aid Offset: The U.S. may credit new military assistance toward its investment contributions.
- Exclusion of Prior Aid: As confirmed by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, the pact “will not include assistance provided before its signing.”
Shmyhal hailed the deal as “a strategic agreement on the establishment of an investment partnership fund” and “an equal and beneficial international agreement on joint investments in Ukraine’s recovery.”
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From Bitter Talks to Final Signature
Efforts to finalize the U.S.-Ukraine mineral deal began in earnest after President Trump’s inauguration in January. A planned signature during President Volodymyr Zelensky’s February visit to Washington was aborted following a contentious Oval Office meeting. Trump briefly suspended U.S. aid to Ukraine, causing alarm among European allies and prompting them to bolster their own support. Negotiators also grappled with the question of U.S. security guarantees—a point Trump initially resisted, insisting the mineral pact be signed first.
Despite those setbacks, last-minute wrangling over document language nearly scuttled the agreement on Wednesday. Ultimately, both sides overcame their differences, driven by the shared goal of undercutting Russia’s leverage and securing critical supply chains for high-tech and clean-energy industries.
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Ukraine’s Mineral Wealth and Global Implications
Ukraine sits atop deposits of 22 of the 50 materials classified by the U.S. Geological Survey as “critical,” including rare earth elements vital for electronics, renewable energy, and defense applications. Until now, China has dominated global production of these minerals, prompting Western nations to seek diversification. A Biden-era memorandum of understanding signed last year pledged to promote U.S. investment in Ukraine’s mines—mirroring an earlier 2021 agreement Kyiv struck with the European Union.
By formalizing this US and Ukraine mineral deal, Washington and Kyiv not only secure strategic resources. But also bind their futures economically and politically. As global demand for rare earths surges, this pact positions Ukraine as a key alternative supplier, while ensuring that revenue and resource control remain firmly in Ukrainian hands.
📢 For continuing coverage of the ukraine minerals deal, its impact on global supply chains, and the latest in Ukraine news. From reconstruction funding to policy developments, keep following TNN. Our in-depth analyses will track how this partnership reshapes geopolitics, strengthens Ukraine’s sovereignty, and influences U.S. and global markets. 🚨
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