US and Ukraine preparing to sign minerals agreement as early as today – Reuters
Photo: Donald Trump, President of the US (Getty Images)
The US and Ukraine may sign a minerals agreement in the coming hours. It was supposed to be concluded last week, Reuters reports.
According to the outlet's sources, US President Donald Trump told his advisers that he wants to announce the agreement during his address to Congress, which will take place on the evening of March 4 (at 04:00 AM on March 5 Kyiv time).
Reuters' interlocutors emphasized that the agreement between Ukraine and the US has not yet been signed, and the situation could still change.
Trump and Zelenskyy clash
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the US on Friday, February 28. He went to the White House, where he met with US President Donald Trump. An official signing ceremony for the US-Ukraine minerals agreement was supposed to take place there.
However, when the two leaders spoke with journalists in the Oval Office, a dispute broke out between them. Trump accused Zelenskyy of "playing games with World War III."
Amid this tension, the meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump ended prematurely. The Ukrainian president left the White House, and the agreement was not signed.
US-Ukraine agreement
The framework agreement between Ukraine and the US envisions the creation of an investment fund under the joint management of both countries.
According to the document, Ukraine will be required to contribute 50% of its revenue from mineral sales to the fund.
Kevin Hassett, Director of the National Economic Council at the White House, stated that the US expects to generate approximately $20 billion in revenue from the agreement.
