KYIV (Reuters) -Ukraine is ready to sign a mineral resources deal with the United States and could do so later on Wednesday, a Ukrainian government source told Reuters.
First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko was travelling to the United States to sign the agreement, the source said, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.
“I think maybe late evening Kyiv time, the deal there can be signed,” the source said.
Ukrainian officials hope that signing the deal promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump will help to firm up softening American support for Kyiv in the war triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion more than three years ago.
The two sides signed a memorandum, published on April 18, as an initial step towards clinching an accord on developing mineral resources in Ukraine. In the memorandum, they said they aimed to complete talks by April 26 and sign the deal as soon as possible.
Trump and his administration’s officials threatened to walk away from efforts to broker a peace deal earlier this month unless there are clear signs of progress soon.
Ukraine has relied on military aid from the U.S., ranging from air defence to long-range missiles, to repel Russia’s onslaught for more than three years.
In February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that American aid comprised around 30% of the weapons and equipment used to defend the country.
On April 28, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Kyiv had agreed that past U.S. aid provided to Kyiv would not be counted as part of a minerals deal.
During a trip to the United States last week, Shmyhal met U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and reported “good progress” on the agreement.
Shmyhal also said that Kyiv had clearly defined the red lines regarding the agreement’s compliance with Ukraine’s European obligations and Ukrainian legislation.
(Reporting by Tom Balmforth; writing by Anastasiia Malenko; editing by Andrew Heavens, Mark Heinrich, Philippa Fletcher)
