The United States and Ukraine have signed a deal on natural resources. What the media is writing
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- The United States and Ukraine have signed a deal on natural resources. What the media is writing
The agreement on Ukrainian natural resources, which US President Donald Trump promoted as an opportunity to return funds spent on supporting Kiev, was concluded on the night of May 1. What the foreign media write about how the resource deal has changed and what it means for strengthening ties between the United States and Ukraine is in the Izvestia digest.
Bloomberg: Resource deal will ensure Trump's favor in Ukraine
The signing of the natural resources agreement between Ukraine and the United States provided guarantees to officials in Kiev who feared that US President Donald Trump would refuse to support peace talks with Russia. The deal guarantees the United States preferential access to the development of Ukrainian resources, including aluminum, graphite, oil and natural gas, and is critical to strengthening Trump's goodwill in his quest to end the conflict.
Bloomberg
Although Congress is unlikely to provide new money for Ukraine beyond what has already been allocated, it is important that the United States continue intelligence sharing, which is "essentially indispensable," said Charles Litchfield, deputy director of the Atlantic Council's Geo-Economic Center in Washington.
Now the focus will shift to negotiations on a peace agreement. Trump's special envoy, Steve Whitkof, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week, but has so far been unable to achieve a lasting ceasefire. The White House says that Trump is becoming increasingly disillusioned with Ukraine and Russia due to the lack of progress on the peace agreement. He threatened to withdraw from the talks, which caused concern among Ukraine's allies. The resource deal appears to be returning Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Kiev to Trump's favor, at least for now.
The New York Times: The new version of the agreement turned out to be better for Ukraine than the original one
The Trump administration did not provide immediate information about the agreement, and it is unclear what it means for the future of U.S. military support for Ukraine. According to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the agreement signals to Russia "that the Trump administration is committed to a peace process focused on a free, sovereign and prosperous Ukraine." Supporters of Ukraine hope that the agreement may force Trump to view the country as more than a money pit and an obstacle to improving relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The New York Times
In Washington, several of Ukraine's allies breathed a sigh of relief, calling the deal a marked improvement over previous versions and a sign that Kiev could work constructively with Trump.
According to former U.S. Ambassador to Kiev William B. Taylor, "the Americans have accepted many of the Ukrainians' proposals," which is a "good sign" for negotiations to end the conflict. A former U.S. official familiar with the negotiations said the Trump administration had rejected at least one attempt by Ukraine to include clear security guarantees, such as continued U.S. military assistance to Kiev. But, according to him, the agreement will serve an important purpose — Trump's economic interest in the survival and stability of the country.
Financial Times: The agreement between the United States and Ukraine almost broke down
The agreement signed at the U.S. Treasury Department will create an "investment fund for reconstruction" for Ukraine. The deal was struck after Trump and Zelensky met at the Vatican last Saturday amid growing White House discontent with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, at the last moment, an obstacle arose that could derail the agreement: Washington announced that Ukraine was reneging on some of its previous commitments just as First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Sviridenko arrived in the US capital.
Financial Times
A source familiar with the US position in negotiations with Ukraine said that the final disagreements relate to governance, transparency mechanism and tracking of funds.
During the first decade, all profits earned by the fund will be reinvested in Ukraine. Sviridenko said that in addition to contributing funds to the fund, the United States can offer further support, including air defense systems. The Fund will be "jointly managed," with neither side playing a dominant role. The agreement does not contain provisions on any debt obligations of Ukraine to the United States, and its implementation allowed the countries to "expand their economic potential through equal cooperation and investment," she added.
The Washington Post: The deal on minerals has rather symbolic meaning
The wording of the agreement marks a victory for Kiev, which has been seeking concrete expressions of support from the United States since President Donald Trump returned to power. The latest draft of the agreement corrects several key points that Ukraine objected to: in particular, wording that could violate European Union laws by offering advantages to American investors.
The Washington Post
Currently, foreign investors are reluctant to significantly expand mining projects in Ukraine for a number of reasons, including the conflict. Trump cannot force private American companies to make expensive and potentially unprofitable investments.
Oleg Ustenko, Zelensky's former economic adviser, believes that "Trump wants to present this as a victory for the Americans, but Trump will not invest, and the United States will not invest — the private sector is needed." Alex Jacques, who served as a senior minerals official in the Biden administration, said the development of a new lithium or rare earth mining industry in Ukraine was highly unlikely, calling the trillions of dollars in natural resources claimed by the Trump administration illusory. Ukraine has a large iron ore industry, but the draft agreement does not seem to include it.
Fox News: The deal will provide Ukraine with investments for 10 years
Kiev has signed an agreement granting the United States access to Ukraine's rare minerals, continuing to work with the Trump administration in an attempt to end the three-year conflict with Russia. The United States is seeking access to more than 20 types of raw materials that are considered strategically important to its interests, including oil and natural gas. Among them are Ukrainian deposits of titanium, which is used in the aerospace industry, as well as uranium used in nuclear energy, medical equipment and weapons.
Fox News
The deal will establish an equal partnership between the two countries and will last for 10 years. Financial contributions to the joint fund will be made in cash, and only new U.S. military aid will be accounted for in the American share.
Neither side will have a majority of votes, reflecting an equal partnership between Ukraine and the United States, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko said. The Fund is supported by the U.S. Government through the International Development Finance Corporation of the United States. She said that under the terms of the deal, the government of Ukraine will determine which minerals will be mined and where.
"Public": the agreement will require changes in the budget code of Ukraine
On the night of May 1, Ukraine and the United States of America signed a strategic agreement to establish an Investment fund for restoration and partnership in the field of critical minerals. The Ukrainian share in the Fund will be formed from 50% of state budget revenues from rent under new licenses, as well as additional voluntary contributions. The United States can contribute both in cash and in the form of new aid, such as air defense systems.
"Public"
According to the parties' expectations, the fund's revenues in the first 10 years will be reinvested in Ukraine. The agreement provides for making only point-by-point changes to the budget code and is subject to ratification by the Verkhovna Rada.
The fund's funds will be invested exclusively in Ukraine — in mining, oil, gas, infrastructure and processing projects. At the same time, Ukraine retains full control over the subsoil and resources, as well as the right to determine the conditions for the use of national resources. The agreement does not provide for changes in the processes of privatization or management of state—owned companies - they will continue to belong to Ukraine.
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