Agreement Signed Between the USA and Ukraine

Ukraine and the USA have signed a minerals agreement aimed at establishing a joint investment fund in Ukraine, announced Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. According to Svyrydenko, the document could provide success for both countries.

She traveled to Washington to sign the agreement on behalf of Ukraine. The document was signed by US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Behnke.

The signing of the agreement followed months of negotiations. Initially, it was supposed to be signed in February but was postponed after the well-known debate between President Zelensky and US President Donald Trump.

US officials have presented the document as a sign of long-term support for Ukraine. “This agreement sends a clear message to Russia that the Trump administration supports Ukraine's independence and peaceful future,” noted Behnke. He stated that the agreement prohibits profit from Ukraine's recovery by any states or individuals who have supported Russia’s war.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal, in turn, announced that the government has already approved the document. He emphasized that it will allow for attracting investment, boosting the economy, and acquiring new technologies from the US.

The fund is expected to have an equal governance system between Kyiv and Washington. Both parties will invest, while future US military assistance may be viewed as investment, although past aid is not accounted for.

Shmyhal added that the agreement does not incur debt, and Ukraine will maintain control over mineral resources and infrastructure. Svyrydenko noted that state-owned companies such as Energoatom and Ukrnafta will remain state-owned.

The fund will be supplemented by revenues from new licenses without taxation in Ukraine or the USA. According to the Washington Post, the agreement does not mention the fate of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Instead, the document promises long-term strategic cooperation and US support for Ukraine's recovery and security.

Shmyhal stated that the agreement will be sent to the Verkhovna Rada for ratification after its signing.