The United States and Ukraine have signed a long-anticipated agreement granting Washington a share in the future profits from Ukraine's critical mineral and energy resources.

The deal, finalized after prolonged and occasionally tense negotiations, aims to strengthen economic ties between the two nations and incentivize continued US support for Ukraine’s defense and post-war reconstruction.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko signed the agreement in Washington on Wednesday. 

A joint statement confirmed that the newly formed US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund would help finance Ukraine’s economic recovery, acknowledging the substantial US assistance provided since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

The agreement includes a 50:50 profit-sharing model on select natural resource projects, while ownership of resources will remain with Ukraine. The fund is expected to attract international investment in sectors such as minerals, oil, and gas.

The move is seen as a strategic shift under the Trump administration, which has called for tangible returns on US aid to Kyiv. President Trump has linked future security guarantees to economic cooperation, particularly access to Ukraine’s rare earth elements.

The deal still requires ratification by Ukraine’s parliament. The Kremlin has not commented on the agreement.

Source: BBC

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