The U.S. and Ukraine have signed a minerals deal, the agreement at the center of President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s tense Oval Office exchange amid the Russia-Ukraine war.
“Thanks to President Trump’s tireless efforts to secure a lasting peace, I am glad to announce the signing of today’s historic economic partnership agreement between the United States and Ukraine establishing the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote in a statement on Wednesday.
Bessent said the U.S. is committed to helping end the “cruel and senseless” Russia-Ukraine war,
“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. “President Trump envisioned this partnership between the American people and the Ukrainian people to show both sides’ commitment to lasting peace and prosperity in Ukraine. And to be clear, no state or person who financed or supplied the Russian war machine will be allowed to benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine.”
The Treasury Department and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation will now work with Ukraine to finalize the program’s governance and advance the partnership.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.