Washington, May 1 (LaPresse) – The agreement with Washington will grant the United States access to Ukraine’s valuable rare earth minerals, offering Kyiv some assurance of continued American support in the war with Russia. These are some of the details emerging from the agreement signed on Wednesday, which will allow the U.S. to tap into Ukraine’s vast mineral and natural resources after weeks of negotiations.
"This agreement clearly signals to Russia that the Trump administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine in the long term," said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a statement.
"President Trump envisioned this partnership between the American and Ukrainian people as a demonstration of both sides’ commitment to lasting peace and prosperity in Ukraine."
The announcement comes at a critical moment in the war in Ukraine, now entering its third year. The signing follows the collapse of a similar agreement nearly finalized two months ago, derailed during a tense Oval Office meeting between President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump has long criticized Zelensky, saying he "didn’t have what it takes" to win the war and blaming him for prolonging the bloodshed by refusing to cede Crimea. However, in recent days, Trump has also rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that he was complicating negotiations with “terrible timing” in launching deadly attacks on Kyiv.
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