by Admin
Feb 25, 2025
Ukraine has reached an agreement with the United States on a significant minerals deal. A senior official of the Ukrainian government said, “We have indeed agreed on it with several good amendments and see it as a positive outcome. ” The official did not disclose further details.
According to media reports, Washington has backed away from its initial demand for a $500 billion (£395bn) stake in potential revenues from Ukraine’s natural resources.
However, the deal reportedly lacks firm security guarantees for Ukraine, a key issue for the war-torn nation.
United States President Donald Trump announced that he expects Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to visit Washington this week to sign the agreement. The deal follows a period of tense exchanges between the two leaders.
While not confirming the finalized deal, Trump stated on Tuesday that Ukraine would gain “the right to fight on” in return. “They’re fearless,” he told reporters, but added, “Without the United States and its money and military equipment, this war would have been over in a very short period.”
When asked whether U.S. military aid and ammunition supplies to Ukraine would continue, Trump responded, “Maybe until we have a deal with Russia… We need to have a deal, otherwise, it’s going to continue.”
He further suggested that any future peace deal would require “some form of peacekeeping” in Ukraine that would need to be “acceptable to everyone.”
The minerals deal comes amid heightened tensions between Trump and Zelensky. Last week, Trump referred to Zelensky as a “dictator” and appeared to blame Ukraine rather than Russia for initiating the war.
The Ukrainian president, in turn, accused Trump of operating within a “disinformation space” shaped by Russia.
President Trump has long pushed for U.S. access to Ukraine’s mineral resources in return for the substantial military and financial aid provided since Russia’s full-scale invasion three years ago. However, Zelensky has argued that U.S. aid does not amount to the $500 billion initially requested by Washington, stating, “I can’t sell our state.”
However, President Trump claimed the U.S. had provided between $300 billion and $350 billion in aid to Ukraine. “We want to get that money back,” he said. “We’re helping the country through a very, very big problem… but the American taxpayer now is going to get their money back plus.”
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna, who led the negotiations, disclosed in the first report that the agreement was “only part of the picture.”
“We have heard multiple times from the U.S. administration that it’s part of a bigger picture,” she said.
According to Ukrainian sources, while Washington has softened some of its initial demands, many details of the agreement still require further negotiation. The lack of concrete security guarantees remains a pressing concern for Kyiv as the country continues its fight against Russian aggression.
According to Prodesq, political analyst Temitope Oladeji revealed that the mineral resources agreement will further question the United States’ future intention to support military aid for countries like Ukraine.
President Trump’s decision has sent a clear message to all its allies, especially NATO partners, who have looked up to the United States for defense against external aggression.
Germany, Britain, and Poland have seen how the United States under President Trump will recover every military aid and fund sent to its allies, and this has prompted these countries to announce an increase in their military budget like never before since the end of the Second World War.
However, a question keeps lingering: will the United States also demand access to Israel’s mineral resources as Israel has also been a recipient of the United States military aid during its war with Hamas and Hezbollah?