Ukraine said on Thursday that Kyiv and Washington had signed a memorandum as an initial step towards clinching an agreement on developing mineral resources in Ukraine, a deal promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump said the accord could be signed next week.
Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukraine's first deputy prime minister and economy minister, wrote on social media that the memorandum had been signed.
"We are happy to announce the signing, with our American partners, of a Memorandum of Intent, which paves the way for an Economic Partnership Agreement and the establishment of the Investment Fund for the Reconstruction of Ukraine," she wrote.
A Ukrainian delegation travelled to Washington at the end of last week for negotiations after the Trump administration offered a new, more expansive deal. The initial framework agreement that was agreed to has never been signed.
Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, said: "We have a minerals deal, which I guess is going to be signed on Thursday."
Trump has pushed for a compact that would allow the United States to have privileged access to Ukraine's natural resources and critical minerals in what he casts as repayment for military aid provided by Washington to Ukraine under former President Joe Biden.
Sitting alongside Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said "we're still working on the details" and that the signing could come by next Friday.
"It's substantially what we'd agreed on previously," he said. "When the president was here, we had a memorandum of understanding. We went straight to the big deal, and I think it's an 80-page agreement and that's what we'll be signing."
The White House did not respond to a request for further details on the timing and contents of the agreement.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had said earlier that the two countries could sign the memorandum online later in the day.
"This is a memorandum of intent. And we have positive, constructive intentions," Zelenskiy told reporters in Kyiv.
He added that the offer to sign the memorandum before the comprehensive deal, which would require ratification in the Ukrainian parliament, had come from the U.S. side.
Svyrydenko earlier said that Kyiv and Washington had made significant progress while discussing the agreement, and the memorandum was the first stage to record this.
At least two people, including a 9-year-old girl, were killed in Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, as questions remain over Kyiv’s participation in upcoming peace talks proposed by Moscow.
Pakistan has announced it will appoint an ambassador to Afghanistan for the first time since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021, becoming the fourth country—after China, the United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan—to do so.
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke by phone about bilateral relations, regional stability, and global challenges.
Ukraine on Friday withheld its confirmation of participation in the next round of peace talks with Russia, scheduled for June 2 in Istanbul, stating it first requires a detailed proposal from Moscow outlining its conditions for a potential truce or peace deal.
Ukraine is holding off on confirming its participation in peace talks with Russia until it receives a formal proposal document outlining Moscow’s positions, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Friday.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for June 1st, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Türkiye’s first floating natural gas production platform, Osman Gazi, reached Filyos Port in Zonguldak on May 31.
Authorities in Whatcom County, Washington, issued a warning Friday after a truck carrying honey bee hives overturned near the Canadian border, initially prompting fears that millions of bees had been released.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will travel to Washington next week to meet U.S. President Donald Trump.
Landslides and flash floods caused by days of heavy monsoon rain have killed at least 22 people in India’s northeast, officials said.
On May 28, the inauguration ceremony of Lachin International Airport was held.
A car drove into crowds of Liverpool fans celebrating the club’s Premier League title in the city centre on Monday evening, injuring dozens including 4 children. A 53-year-old man believed to be the driver was arrested at the scene.
EU ministers have greenlit a massive €150 billion defense investment fund—dubbed the Security Action for Europe (SAFE)—as the bloc ramps up its military readiness in response to Russia’s aggression and growing uncertainty over U.S. security guarantees.
Brazil’s economy is expected to have regained momentum in the first quarter of 2025, driven by a surge in household spending and private investment, according to a Reuters poll of economists conducted from May 21–26.
Taxi drivers across France are protesting government plans to cut payments for driving patients to medical appointments. These cuts are part of a broader effort by Prime Minister François Bayrou to save €40 billion in the 2026 budget and reduce the country’s large deficit.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for June 1st, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Türkiye’s first floating natural gas production platform, Osman Gazi, reached Filyos Port in Zonguldak on May 31.
Authorities in Whatcom County, Washington, issued a warning Friday after a truck carrying honey bee hives overturned near the Canadian border, initially prompting fears that millions of bees had been released.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will travel to Washington next week to meet U.S. President Donald Trump.
Landslides and flash floods caused by days of heavy monsoon rain have killed at least 22 people in India’s northeast, officials said.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for June 1st, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Türkiye’s first floating natural gas production platform, Osman Gazi, reached Filyos Port in Zonguldak on May 31.
Authorities in Whatcom County, Washington, issued a warning Friday after a truck carrying honey bee hives overturned near the Canadian border, initially prompting fears that millions of bees had been released.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will travel to Washington next week to meet U.S. President Donald Trump.
Landslides and flash floods caused by days of heavy monsoon rain have killed at least 22 people in India’s northeast, officials said.
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