Ukraine has reached an agreement on a significant minerals deal with the United States, a senior official in Kyiv informed the BBC.
“We have successfully negotiated the terms, incorporating several beneficial amendments, and view the outcome positively,” the official stated, without divulging further details.
Reports indicate that Washington has dropped its initial request for a $500 billion (£395 billion) share in potential revenue from Ukraine’s natural resources. However, firm security assurances, one of Kyiv’s key demands, were reportedly not included in the agreement.
US President Donald Trump announced that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was expected to visit Washington this week to sign the deal. The announcement comes after a period of tense exchanges between the two leaders.
Although he did not explicitly confirm that an agreement had been finalised, Trump suggested on Tuesday that, as part of the deal, Ukraine would secure “the right to fight on.”
“They’re very brave,” he told reporters. However, he emphasised that “without the United States, its financial support, and military assistance, this war would have ended much sooner.”
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When asked about the continuation of US military aid and supplies to Ukraine, Trump responded, “Maybe until we reach a deal with Russia… A deal is necessary; otherwise, this will keep going.”
He also mentioned the need for some form of peacekeeping force in Ukraine following any future agreement but stressed that such an arrangement must be widely acceptable.
Tensions between the two leaders escalated just last week when Trump referred to Zelenskyy as a “dictator” and appeared to hold Ukraine, not Russia, responsible for the war. This came after Kyiv dismissed Washington’s demand for $500 billion in mineral rights, with Zelenskyy accusing Trump of being influenced by Russian disinformation.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion three years ago, Trump has pushed for access to Ukraine’s mineral wealth as compensation for previous US military and economic aid.
Zelenskyy has firmly opposed such demands, arguing that US assistance has not amounted to anywhere near $500 billion and insisting, “I cannot sell our country.”
On Tuesday, Trump stated that the US had provided Ukraine with between $300 billion and $350 billion.
“We want that money back,” he said. “We’ve been supporting Ukraine through an enormous crisis, but the American taxpayer is now going to be reimbursed plus more.”
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister, Olha Stefanishyna, who led the negotiations, told the Financial Times, one of the first outlets to report on the deal, that the minerals agreement was “only one piece of the broader picture.”
“We have heard multiple times from the US administration that this is part of a larger strategy,” she said.
Ukrainian sources suggest that the US had to scale back some of its more demanding conditions, and many aspects of the agreement will require further discussion.
However, a clear precedent has now been established under Trump’s leadership, US aid comes with conditions. The era of providing assistance purely for humanitarian or strategic reasons appears to be over.
This marks a significant shift in American foreign policy, disrupting a tradition that has endured for over 75 years, stretching back to the Marshall Plan, post-Cold War optimism, and George W. Bush’s push to spread democracy.
Ukraine may be just the beginning. Over the next four years, Trump and his foreign policy team are expected to apply their “America First” doctrine across the globe.
