U.S. President Donald Trump greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as he arrives at the White House on Feb. 28, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Credit – Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images
After ongoing deliberations and uncertainty, the United States and Ukraine signed a deal on Wednesday, April 30, allowing the U.S. preferential access to new Ukrainian minerals deals in return for an investment fund for Kyiv.
Ukraine has since published the agreement, outlining the specifics of the deal. The document details that the agreement serves as “a flagship mechanism for encouraging transparent, accountable, and future oriented investment into critical sectors of Ukraine’s economy.”
The report also notably refers to “Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.”
Per a follow-up fact sheet published by the White House, the partnership between the U.S. and Ukraine “establishes a fund that will receive 50% of royalties, license fees, and other similar payments from natural resource projects in Ukraine.” That money will then “be invested in new projects in Ukraine, which will generate long-term returns for both the American and Ukrainian peoples.”
The agreement was initially suggested some months ago, but talks soon derailed after a heated argument between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Feb. 28. The Ukrainian President’s trip to Washington was cut short, and the deal seemed to be in tatters, alongside relations between the two nations.
In a press conference on Thursday, May 1, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt labelled the agreement as historic, adding: “This partnership represents the United States taking an economic stake in securing a free, peaceful, and sovereign future for Ukraine.”
The deal was signed on Wednesday by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. Bessent took to social media after the signing and said: “I am glad to announce the signing of today’s historic economic partnership agreement.”
Bessent added that the deal, called the “United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund,” would “help accelerate Ukraine’s economic recovery” and that “economic security is national security.”
Svyrydenko relayed “key provisions” of the agreement in an update shared via X, saying: “Full ownership and control remain with Ukraine. All resources on our territory and in territorial waters belong to Ukraine… It is the Ukrainian state that determines where and what to extract.”
During a call with NewsNation on Wednesday, President Trump spoke about his seemingly pivotal meeting with Zelensky at Pope Francis’ funeral last week, after which he publicly called out Russian President Vladimir Putin. The President told NewsNation: “I told him [Zelensky] it’s a very good thing if we can produce a deal and you sign it, because Russia is much stronger.”
Read More: Trump Publicly Calls Out Putin After Meeting With Zelensky at Pope Francis’ Funeral
Trump has previously claimed that the U.S. has spent $350 billion dollars on Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion in 2022, but The Kiel Institute argues that the U.S. spent closer to $120 billion on aid to Ukraine between January 2022 and December 2024.
Here’s what key political figures have said after the signing of the highly-anticipated and much discussed deal:
Volodymyr Zelensky
Via a statement on Telegram, the Ukrainian President said, per the Kyiv Independent: “It is now a truly equal agreement that opens the door to substantial investment in Ukraine and enables major modernization of production within the country, as well as, just as importantly, an upgrade of our legal practices.”
Earlier on Thursday morning, after reports of Russian drone strikes on Odesa, Ukraine, during the night, Zelensky called for increased pressure on Russia to end the war.
In a statement shared via social media, he said: “That is why a strong push for diplomacy is needed—continued pressure on Russia is essential to force it into silence and negotiations. The more effective the sanctions, the more incentives Russia will have to end the war.”
Andrii Sybiha
Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Andrii Sybiha said that the deal “marks an important milestone in Ukraine–U.S. strategic partnership aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s economy and security,” in a statement on X.
In the same post, Sybiha said he had spoken to the E.U. high representative for foreign affairs, Kaja Kallas, informing her of the deal. He added he is “grateful to the E.U. for its solidarity and steadfast support.”
Read More: Zelensky on Trump, Putin, and the Endgame in Ukraine
Marco Rubio
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the signing of the deal, thanking President Trump for his leadership. Rubio also said that the deal is “a milestone in our shared prosperity and an important step in ending this war.”
Gregory Meeks
In a statement, Democrat Congressman Gregory Meeks called the agreement “Donald Trump’s extortion of Ukraine deal,” adding that he hopes “the Administration can now turn to the real roadblock for peace.”
Meeks reiterated his support for the Ukrainian President, saying: “President Zelensky has shown time and again that he is willing to negotiate to work towards a sustainable peace; now is the time for Trump to put the pressure on Putin where it belongs.”
David Lammy
U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in a statement that the U.K. “welcomes steps taken by the U.S. and Ukraine to sign an economic partnership.”
Lammy also drew focus to the relationship between his country and Ukraine, saying: “The U.K.’s support for Ukraine remains steadfast. With our 100-year partnership, we are deepening economic and security ties for the future generations of both of our countries.”
Dmitry Medvedev
In a post on Telegram, Dmitry Medvedev the deputy chair for Russia’s Security Council and former Russian President, said the deal was a defeat for Kyiv, stating: “Trump has finally broken the Kiev regime into paying for American aid with minerals… Now they will have to pay for military supplies with the national wealth of a disappearing country.”
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