Trump: Minerals deal will provide Ukraine with protection from 'bad actors'
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump stated that he did not want to "make a complicated deal" regarding Ukraine's natural resources, according to the White House broadcast.
"We've made a deal where our money is secure, where we can start digging and do what we have to do," he said, adding that the presence of the US at the extraction sites "will keep a lot of bad actors out of the country."
Trump also added, "We haven't really seen the fruits of that deal yet. I suspect we will."
Minerals deal
In February, Ukraine and the US began discussions on a minerals deal. Since then, both parties have been working on terms that would align with the interests of both Kyiv and Washington.
In March, the US presented Ukraine with a new draft of the agreement. The parties have already held several technical online meetings to discuss the details of their cooperation.
At the beginning of April, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, stated that Kyiv had determined its position on the agreement and was preparing a delegation for negotiations in Washington.
According to sources of RBC-Ukraine, Ukraine and the US may sign the minerals deal today, April 30. First Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko is currently in Washington. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed that the minerals deal between Ukraine and the US will be signed in the next 24 hours.
However, the Financial Times reported today that the signing of a framework agreement on resource usage between Ukraine and the US might be at risk of failure.
At the same time, the US has stated that it is ready to sign the minerals deal with Ukraine today. However, everything depends on the Ukrainian side.
