🇺🇦🤝 US and Ukraine Ink Minerals Deal Amid Peace Efforts

Ukraine and the United States have formalized a significant minerals agreement, a deal strongly advocated by U.S. President Donald Trump. This accord grants the U.S. preferential access to future Ukrainian mineral deals and aims to stimulate investment in Ukraine's reconstruction. The signing in Washington followed months of complex negotiations, marked by last-minute hurdles. 🇺🇸🇺🇦

The agreement establishes a joint investment fund to support Ukraine's rebuilding efforts, aligning with Trump's push for a peace settlement in the ongoing three-year war with Russia. For Kyiv, this deal is crucial in repairing its relationship with Trump and the White House, which had become strained since his January inauguration. Ukrainian officials hope this will ensure continued U.S. support for their defense against Russia. 🛡️

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko were pictured signing the accord, with the Treasury stating the deal "clearly signals the Trump Administration's commitment to a free, sovereign, prosperous Ukraine." 📝

Svyrydenko noted that the agreement allows for Washington to contribute to the fund, potentially including "NEW assistance - for example, air defense systems for Ukraine." While the U.S. did not directly confirm this suggestion, the Kiel Institute in Germany reports that the U.S. has been Ukraine's largest military donor since Russia's 2022 invasion, providing over 64 billion euros ($72 billion) in aid. 💰

Before the signing, Trump reiterated the need for the U.S. to benefit from its aid to Kyiv, hence the focus on securing access to Ukraine's rich deposits of rare earth minerals. The U.S. Treasury highlighted that the partnership acknowledges the "significant financial and material support" the U.S. has provided to Ukraine's defense since the full-scale invasion. 🌍

Svyrydenko emphasized that Ukraine retains ownership of its subsoil and the right to determine extraction locations and methods. Ukraine possesses substantial natural resources, including rare earth metals vital for electronics, electric vehicles, and military applications, a sector currently dominated by China. Ukraine also holds significant reserves of iron, uranium, and natural gas. ⛏️

A key aspect of the agreement, according to Svyrydenko, is that Ukraine incurs no debt obligations to the United States. She also stated that the deal aligns with Ukraine's constitution and its aspirations to join the European Union. 🇪🇺

While negotiated separately, the minerals deal and U.S. peace initiatives reflect Washington's evolving approach to Ukraine and Russia. Trump's policy has shifted the U.S. stance, sometimes softening its criticism of Russia and, at times, falsely blaming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for the conflict. U.S. peace proposals have reportedly included recognizing Russia's claim to Crimea, seized in 2014, and potentially four other Ukrainian regions, a proposition Zelenskiy has firmly rejected as unconstitutional. ❌

Svyrydenko emphasized the agreement's signal to global partners, indicating that "long-term cooperation with Ukraine - over decades - is not only possible but reliable." A draft of the agreement revealed that Ukraine successfully secured the removal of any requirement to repay the U.S. for past military aid, a point of strong contention for Kyiv. However, the draft did not include concrete U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine, a prior objective. Separately, Ukraine is discussing the formation of an international security force with European allies in the event of a peace agreement with Russia. 🤝

Key Data:

US military aid to Ukraine since 2022: Over 64 billion euros ($72 billion).
Crimea was seized by Russia from Ukraine: 2014.

Reported by FazTimes Media.

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