Ukraine, U.S. revise mineral resources agreement terms

Ukraine and the United States have agreed that previous U.S. military aid will not be factored into a forthcoming agreement on joint mineral extraction, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.

Posting on social media, Shmyhal said the agreement was reached during his visit to Washington and talks with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

After President Donald Trump returned to office, he demanded that the U.S. be compensated for its assistance to Ukraine, proposing access to Ukraine’s mineral resources. Kyiv argued that past aid was provided on a grant basis and should not be considered debt or equity.

"The key point — we clearly set our red lines: the agreement must comply with Ukraine’s European commitments, the Constitution, and national legislation, and it must be ratified by parliament," Shmyhal wrote. "It has been agreed that the assistance provided before the signing of the document will not be counted."

Experts have warned that unrestricted U.S. access to Ukraine’s resources could complicate the country's EU accession process.