U.S. signs deal with Ukraine to share profits from sale of its rare minerals
U.S. signs deal with Ukraine to share profits from sale of its rare minerals
M.U.H
02/05/202530
The United States and Ukraine have signed a long-awaited agreement granting Washington access to Ukraine’s rare minerals, following months of fraught negotiations for a deal that President Donald Trump said would provide an economic incentive for the U.S. to continue supplying military aid to Kiev.
The deal, signed on Wednesday, establishes a joint investment fund, which officials said is aimed at supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction and economic recovery.
Under the agreement, the U.S. will share revenues from the future sale of Ukraine’s minerals, while Ukraine has committed 50% of its natural resource revenue to reconstruction efforts.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent framed the deal as a demonstration of the Trump administration’s commitment to the peace process in Ukraine. “This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine,” Bessent said.
Despite the fanfare, the deal will have little impact, if anything, on the fighting between Ukraine and Russia.
The deal follows a period of strained relations between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, including a heated February meeting in which Trump and Vice President JD Vance reportedly pressured Zelensky to sign an earlier version of the agreement.
Ahead of that meeting, Zelensky accused the Trump administration of pressuring him to sign a deal worth more than $500 billion, which he said would force ten generations of Ukrainians to pay it back.
Trump had also said that he wanted the deal to allow Ukraine to repay the U.S. for the roughly $175 billion in military support it has provided to Ukraine.
While the new deal is reportedly more favorable to Ukraine, it does not include guarantees of future U.S. security assistance, a key demand from Kiev.
Ukraine possesses 22 of the 50 materials classified as critical by the U.S. Geological Survey, including rare earth elements essential for electronics, clean energy technologies, and military applications.
The agreement is seen as a strategic move by Washington to secure access to these resources while strengthening its hand in negotiations to broker a potential ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.
