Ukraine signs long-awaited US minerals deal

The US and Ukraine signed a long-anticipated minerals agreement Wednesday.

The US Treasury secretary said the deal, which will give Washington priority access to Kyiv’s mineral resources, is a sign that the Trump administration is committed to “a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term.”

The weekslong negotiations over the agreement have been contentious, and came to a head during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s doomed White House visit in February.

The deal is at the heart of Kyiv’s efforts to improve ties to Washington, and while the agreement does not provide US security guarantees, it reportedly does say the document demonstrates the US’ “support for Ukraine’s security.”