Ukraine And US Reach Minerals Deal Amid Strategic Negotiations.
Ukraine has reached an agreement with the United States on a major minerals deal, a senior official in Kyiv has confirmed. The agreement, which follows intense negotiations, has been described as a positive outcome for Ukraine, though specific details remain undisclosed.
“We have indeed agreed it with a number of good amendments and see it as a positive outcome,” the official told the BBC.
Reports suggest that the US has dropped its initial demand for a $500 billion (£395 billion) share in Ukraine’s mineral revenues. However, Washington has not provided firm security guarantees—one of Kyiv’s key requests.
US President Donald Trump confirmed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to visit Washington this week to finalise the deal. While he did not confirm the full terms of the agreement, Trump stated that Ukraine would receive “the right to fight on” in exchange for the deal.
“They’re very brave,” he told reporters, “but without the United States and its money and its military equipment, this war would have been over in a very short period of time.”
On whether the US would continue supplying military equipment and ammunition, Trump said this might continue “until we have a deal with Russia.” He also mentioned the need for “some form of peacekeeping” in Ukraine following any future peace agreement, but stressed that it must be “acceptable to everyone.”
The negotiations have been marked by tensions between the two leaders. Last week, Trump referred to Zelensky as a “dictator” and suggested Ukraine, rather than Russia, bore responsibility for the war. Zelensky, in turn, rejected US demands for $500 billion in mineral wealth and accused Trump of being influenced by Russian disinformation.
Since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago, Trump has sought access to Ukraine’s natural resources in return for previous US military and financial aid. However, Zelensky has maintained that the level of aid provided does not justify such demands, asserting, “I can’t sell our state.”
Trump estimated that the US has provided between $300 billion and $350 billion in assistance to Ukraine, adding, “We want to get that money back… The American taxpayer now is going to get their money back plus.”
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna, who has led negotiations, told the Financial Times that the minerals deal was “only part of the picture” and suggested that it fits into a broader US strategy.
The agreement signals a shift in US foreign policy under Trump, with American aid now coming with clear conditions. Analysts suggest that this approach—prioritising American interests—will shape US international relations in the coming years. Ukraine may be the first test case, but Trump’s “America First” strategy is expected to extend across global diplomatic and economic engagements.
