The United States and Ukraine sign an agreement on the exploitation of Ukrainian minerals.

WashingtonMore than two months have passed since Volodymyr Zelensky left the White House without signing the agreement for the exploitation of Ukrainian minerals. after Donald Trump booed him in the Oval Office. While negotiations to achieve a battlefield truce with Russia have continued to advance – although so far only with Minimum agreements that are impossible to meet due to Vladimir Putin's demands–, talks on the rare earths agreement had continued to take place in the background. Finally, Washington and Kiev have already signed the document that grants the US access to Ukrainian resources, including aluminum, graphite, crude oil, and natural gas, according to Bloomberg.

Late this afternoon, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the signing of the pact. The United States and Ukraine are working together to strengthen the Reconstruction Partnership to help accelerate Ukraine's economic recovery. "Economic security is national security," Bessent said in a statement.

The White House describes the agreement as an "economic partnership" between the two countries to "work collaboratively and invest jointly to ensure that our shared assets, talent, and capabilities can accelerate Ukraine's economic recovery."

Ukrainian Economy Secretary Yulia Svyrydenko, who flew to Washington on Wednesday to finalize details of the agreement, also confirmed her signing. "On behalf of the Government of Ukraine, I signed the Agreement Establishing a U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund. "Together with the United States, we are creating a fund that will attract global investment to our country," Svyrydenko wrote in a post on X. ~BK explained the points of the agreement, including that Ukraine "does not have any mandatory debt to the United States." Trump has consistently demanded an exploitation agreement from Kiev in return for the military support provided during the three years of war. In the first attempt to sign the agreement, Washington wanted Ukraine to recognize the delivery of arms and other forms of support as a debt, although Zelensky had already made it clear that he refused to accept an agreement of that magnitude.

Several US media outlets had already reported that the agreement to exploit Ukraine's strategic minerals is expected to be signed this Wednesday. Meanwhile, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Xmihal said on national television that Economy Minister Yulia Sviridenko was heading to Washington. "We are finalizing the details with our American colleagues. When they are finalized, I hope the agreement will be signed shortly, in the next 24 hours," said Xmihal.

The pact involved all mineral resources, including oil and gas, as well as major energy assets throughout Ukraine. Trump once even hinted at the idea of controlling the country's nuclear power plants. According to the Associated Press, there is a main agreement and at least two technical agreements that specify the details for the creation of a joint fund in the invaded country.

Ukraine is a veritable "treasure trove" of critical minerals like lithium. Before the Russian invasion broke out in 2022, during a meeting of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (EEC), it was noted that approximately 5% of all the world's "critical raw materials" were in Ukraine. In fact, Trump himself had already located the country on the map long before the war began. Amid the technological race and the trade war with China, Ukraine's minerals are extremely valuable to the American president. Especially after Beijing banned the export to the United States of key minerals for the production of chips and semiconductors last year.

Security Commitment

One of the central points of the rare earths agreement was whether Ukraine could secure a commitment to security guarantees from the United States. When Zelensky traveled to Washington in February, he had initially renounced the guarantees, but after the booing, the Ukrainian president changed his position again and described the draft as an invitation to "sell out" his country.

After that first public rupture, Zelensky also made it clear that he would not accept Trump's condition that the military aid received during the war be recognized as debt. The US president wanted this clause as another way to collect on the support Kiev has received in the form of donations.

Last Sunday, after the meeting between Zelensky and Trump at the Vatican, the Ukrainian prime minister assured that the agreement would not include the US aid that had previously been provided to Kiev. Even so, Kiev insists that his negotiating teams have obtained a significant concession from the Trump administration. "We have clearly defined our red lines; the agreement must comply with European obligations and not contradict the Constitution and legislation of Ukraine," said Xmihal after meeting with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. On April 18, both countries had already signed a memorandum that represented a first step towards reaching an agreement on the exploitation of Ukrainian resources.

One hundred days after arriving at the White House, Trump has not been able to end the war in Ukraine as he promised, but he does seem to be closer to being able to exploit the resources of the country at war. Washington has taken advantage of its advantageous position as the main arms supplier to demand compensation that some have described as "colonialist." In parallel with the negotiations, the The United States has already begun withdrawing troops from the Polish border with Ukraine.. All under the premise of saving money.