A high-ranking Ukrainian official explained that a negotiating team will visit the US this week for talks on a natural resources deal. An agreement to allow the US to access or profit from the sale of Ukraine’s natural resources is viewed as critical to sway President Donald Trump to send more support for Kiev.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko wrote on X, “This week, Ukraine will send a delegation to Washington to move forward with negotiations on a strategic agreement with the United States regarding critical natural resources.”
Trump has explained that the deal would give the US access to rare earth minerals and other national resources in Ukraine. The President claims the profits can be used to repay the US for the hundreds of billions of dollars in aid sent to Ukraine. Some administration officials have suggested that if Kiev signs a deal, then it will receive more support from the US, as Washington will be incentivized to protect its investments.
An agreement for Ukraine’s rare earth minerals was scheduled to be signed during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Washington. However, an argument in the Oval office between Zelensky, Trump, and Vice President JD Vance scuttled the deal.
Since that meeting, Washington has expanded the deal to include oil, gas, and other natural resources, not just Ukraine’s rare earth minerals. After the February debacle in the White House, Trump blamed Zelensky for not engaging in the process of ending the war.
The White House has recently directed its anger at the Kremlin for failing to commit to the diplomatic process. Trump told a US reporter he was “pissed off” at Putin. Additionally, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Moscow needed to show it is serious about ending the war diplomatically in the coming weeks.
US-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia resulted in the announcement of two limited ceasefires; however, so far, both agreements face hurdles for implementation. Both sides continue to complain that the other is violating the truce on energy infrastructure.
Moscow says that the West must lift some sanctions to restore the Black Sea Initiative. That truce would allow for commercial ships to access Ukrainian and Russian Black Sea ports. At this point, the sanctions remain in place.
