US-Ukraine mineral deal is back on, to be signed next week, Trump says

WASHINGTON — The US and Ukraine will yet motion a long sought-after mineral authorities statement next week aft months of negotiations, according to officials from some countries.

President Trump announced successful nan Oval Office Thursday that an statement had been reached, estimating that it would beryllium formalized April 24 astatine a location to beryllium wished later.

In a little-noticed bid of X posts early Wednesday, Ukrainian Minister of nan Economy Yulia Svyrydenko announced that “a affirmative caller measurement has been made successful nan ongoing advancement pinch nan United States connected nan Economic Partnership Agreement and nan creation of an finance money for nan reconstruction of Ukraine.”

“Our method teams person worked very thoroughly together connected nan agreement, and location is important progress. Our ineligible unit has adjusted respective items wrong nan draught agreement,” Svyrydenko added “Thank you to nan negotiators connected some teams.”

“We person now agreed pinch nan American broadside to grounds this advancement successful nan applicable memorandum of intent. We are preparing to complete nan formalization of nan statement successful nan adjacent future.”

Ukraine holds ample deposits of much than 20 minerals nan US has deemed critical, including titanium, lithium, and uranium — each of which are basal for nan American military, energy, and atomic powerfulness sectors.

A mineral woody was astir signed connected Feb. 28 during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s sojourn to nan White House, but nan statement was concisely taken disconnected nan array aft an explosive statement betwixt Trump, Zelensky and Vice President JD Vance successful beforehand of dozens of reporters successful nan Oval Office.

That arrangement’s position held that Ukraine would allocate 50% of early revenues generated from cardinal nationalist assets — including minerals, hydrocarbons, oil, earthy gas, and different resources — to a associated fund.

While specifications connected nan caller woody were sparse connected Thursday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said nan caller statement is “substantially what we agreed upon previously.”

Zelensky, 47, has many times expressed willingness to motion a model woody — truthful agelong arsenic it is not viewed arsenic repayment for antecedently talented subject aid. The business is successful portion designed to thief triumph Trump’s favour and reinvigorate America’s support against nan Russian invasion.

The Trump management has made mineral information a cardinal purpose complete nan past respective months, pursuing imaginable deals successful Greenland and nan Democratic Republic of Congo arsenic apical adversary China holds a stark advantage successful entree to uncommon world minerals.

The agreement could besides activity to thief Ukraine reconstruct its system erstwhile Russia finally ends its battle on nan country.