KYIV: Ukraine’s prime minister will visit Washington next week for talks with top US officials aimed at clinching a long-fraught minerals and resources deal by April 26, according to a memorandum released on Friday.
Kyiv and Washington had planned to sign a deal on extracting Ukraine’s strategic minerals weeks ago, but a clash between presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky in February temporarily derailed work on the agreement.
Trump wants the deal – designed to give the US royalty payments on profits from Ukrainian mining of resources and rare minerals – as compensation for aid given to Ukraine by his predecessor, Joe Biden.
According to a copy of a one-page “memorandum of intent” signed by both countries, the two sides “aim” to complete discussions by April 26 and sign the final agreement “as soon as possible”.
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“Ukrainian Prime Minister (Denys) Shmygal will visit Washington, DC the week of April 21, 2025, to meet with US Treasury Secretary (Scott) Bessent and lend high-level support to the conclusion of technical discussions,” the document, published by the Ukrainian government Friday, stated.
“Negotiating teams are expected to report on the progress by April 26, 2025, with the aim of completing discussions by that date and signing as soon as possible,” it added.
US officials say boosting American business interests in Ukraine will help deter Russia from future aggression in the event of a ceasefire.
Kyiv is pushing for concrete military and security guarantees as part of any deal to halt the three-year war.
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