US and Ukraine sign deal on rare minerals to boost recovery and security

The United States and Ukraine have signed a major economic deal that gives Washington access to Ukraine’s valuable rare earth minerals. In return, the US will help Ukraine rebuild by creating a joint investment fund, according to CNN News. The deal, signed on Wednesday, comes after months of tense negotiations between the two countries. It gives the US an important alternative to China’s global dominance in rare minerals, which are used in everything from smartphones to clean energy and military equipment. Ukraine's Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko signed the agreement in Washington and mad

The United States and Ukraine have signed a major economic deal that gives Washington access to Ukraine’s valuable rare earth minerals. In return, the US will help Ukraine rebuild by creating a joint investment fund, according to CNN News. The deal, signed on Wednesday, comes after months of tense negotiations between the two countries. It gives the US an important alternative to China’s global dominance in rare minerals, which are used in everything from smartphones to clean energy and military equipment. Ukraine's Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko signed the agreement in Washington and made it clear that Ukraine will stay in control of its resources. “All resources on our territory and in territorial waters belong to Ukraine,” Svyrydenko said on X. “The subsoil remains under Ukrainian ownership, this is clearly established in the Agreement.” The US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent praised the deal, saying it shows America’s strong support for Ukraine. “This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump Administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term,” Bessent said. Former President Donald Trump, who returned to office in January, had delayed the deal during a difficult Oval Office meeting with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in February. At the time, Trump paused US aid to Ukraine, angering Kyiv and alarming Europe. Zelensky had criticized the early version of the deal, saying it asked him to “sell” his country. But after weeks of negotiations, both sides reached a compromise. A key part of the agreement is the creation of a new joint investment fund for rebuilding Ukraine. “It is truly an equal and beneficial international agreement on joint investments in the development and recovery of Ukraine,” said Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. Each country will put equal amounts into the fund and have equal control. According to Shmyhal, the US may also count newbmilitary aid as part of its contribution to the fund, but not the help it already gave since the war began in 2022. Ukraine is rich in minerals. It has 22 of the 50 critical minerals identified by the US Geological Survey. These are vital for modern technologies, and the West has been looking for ways to reduce reliance on China. This agreement also echoes an earlier deal Ukraine signed with the European Union in 2021. “This partnership shows our commitment to support Ukraine, not just with aid, but with long-term economic strength,” Bessent said. Now, with this new deal, both countries hope to turn Ukraine’s natural wealth into a tool for peace, recovery, and independence.