The United States is prepared to sign the agreement on rare minerals with Ukraine. What the understanding provides

The United States is prepared to sign the agreement on minerals with Ukraine if Kiev is also prepared, the Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, said after a meeting of the Donald Trump administration, AFP reports.

“We are ready to sign,” he told the press, stressing that the Ukrainians “decided (Tuesday, no) a few last moment changes,” according to Agerpres.

“We are sure that they will reconsider the problem and we are ready to sign this afternoon (Wednesday, the United States, no) if necessary,” the official added.

Asked what changes were made, he said: “Nothing was eliminated. It is the same agreement that we have concluded this weekend. No change from us,” said the American official.

A Sura told Reuters that the US is putting pressure on Ukraine to sign two more documents, but Kiev believes “it is too early.” Bessent denied that the US would have tried to change the agreement agreed by the two parties over the weekend.

The Ukrainian Minister of Economy, Iulia Sviridenko, is in Washington and “should sign the tonight,” said Reuters and AFP sources, subject to anonymity.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Șmîhal expressed his satisfaction on national television: “It is indeed a beautiful, equitable international agreement between US and Ukrainian governments, on common investments in the development and reconstruction of Ukraine.”

He mentioned that the signing is provided “during the next 24 hours”.

The agreement, whose final version negotiated has not yet been officially approved by the Kiev Government, is “the result of a hard and in -depth work,” Șmîhal said.

The agreement of agreement has been in the center of tensions between Ukraine and the US for several weeks, in the context of the Vital American support for Ukrainians, which have been dealing with the Russian invasion for over three years.

A project of the main document, consulted by Reuters, shows that Ukraine has obtained the elimination of a provision that forces Kiev to reimburse the US for the previously received military aid – a point that Ukraine constantly rejected.

Washington was Ukraine's largest military donor in the Russian invasion of 2022, offering over 64 billion euros ($ 72 billion), according to the Kiel Institute in Germany.

Trump reiterated on Wednesday that the US should get something in exchange for the help offered to Ukraine, which explains interest in access to Ukrainian reserves of rare minerals.

“I suppose they will respect their commitment … I have not seen the results of this agreement yet. But I think we will see them,” Trump said after a government meeting.

The terms of the agreement

The project provides for the establishment of an American-Ukrainian common fund for reconstruction, which will receive 50% of the profits and royalties that belong to the Ukrainian state from the new licenses to exploit natural resources.

The document does not specify how this money will be spent, who will benefit from the background or who will make the decisions regarding its use.

Șmîhal stated, in a television intervention, that after signing the main agreement, the two parties will also like two additional technical documents that will detail the functioning of the fund.

He stressed that Ukraine will keep control over all its resources, and the fund will invest in the development of the country for a period of 10 years.

“Ukraine will only contribute with revenues from the new licenses, from the new royalties for mineral resources. This will be our contribution, of which 50% will go,” the prime minister explained.

According to Șmîhal, the US could contribute to the fund with future military aid, without the support given above being reflected in this agreement.

On April 18, the two parties signed a memorandum that represented a first step towards the conclusion of the agreement. In the document, the parties agreed to complete the negotiations until April 26 and sign the agreement as soon as possible.

The agreement had to be signed in February, when President Volodimir Zelenski was visiting the White House. After a tense meeting between the two leaders, who ended with Zelenski's forced departure, the signing was postponed.

Later, after the US suspended aid for Ukraine, Zelenski sent on social networks that he is ready to sign the agreement at any time.

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