 "US-Ukraine minerals deal to be signed ‘within hours’ in Washington DC: Report")
Ukraine is looking to sign a long-anticipated natural resources deal with the US ‘within hours’, a move which could pave way for continued American military support to Kyiv, reported Bloomberg. The report said the draft of the deal has been finalised, and it could be inked as early as Wednesday (April 30).
According to the sources cited by the outlet, Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko is currently heading to Washington to sign the deal. The deal will see both the US and Ukraine create a joint fund to manage Ukraine’s investment projects.
The deal could provide US firms access to Ukraine’s natural resources, including aluminum, graphite, oil and natural gas. According to the report, the Ukrainian cabinet is ready to approve the deal, which will also have to be ratified by Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday.
The US and Ukraine will seek to create the conditions to “increase investment in mining, energy, and related technology in Ukraine,” the draft of the agreement reads.
One major breakthrough
The potential signing of the deal could come at a time when US President Donald Trump has expressed his frustration to both Ukraine and Russia over the delay in ending the conflict, which has now entered its fourth year.
Trump last week slammed Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s stance on Crimea, saying his pledge to not recognise the territory as Russian will harm the peace efforts. He also lashed out at Russian leader Vladimir Putin for incessant bombing of Ukrainian cities.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated on Tuesday that Trump was getting frustrated with the difficulty of getting both Ukraine and Russia to agree to a peace deal, but that “he remains optimistic that we can get this done.”
Impact Shorts
More ShortsHowever, the White House said President Trump was “confident” that a minerals deal will be signed with Ukraine.
The agreement “strengthens the strategic partnership between the Parties for the long-term reconstruction and modernization of Ukraine, in response to the large-scale destruction caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion,” the draft read.
Notably, a previous attempt to reach the agreement collapsed earlier this year after Zelenskyy had a confrontation with Trump and Vice President JD Vance during a meeting in the Oval Office. However, progress resumed when Zelenskyy held a one-on-one meeting with the US president at the Vatican on Saturday, just before the funeral of Pope Francis.
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