Ukraine PM visits US to finalize mineral deal talks
The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, will visit Washington next week to finalize negotiations concerning the exploitation of Ukrainian mineral deposits by the United States, according to a copy of a letter of intent released by the government in Kyiv.
What do you need to know?
- When and where will the talks take place? Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal will meet with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington on April 24, 2025.
- What is the purpose of the visit? The purpose is to conclude negotiations on an agreement for the exploitation of Ukrainian mineral deposits by the United States.
- What are the next steps? The negotiating teams are expected to report on their progress by April 26, 2025, to finalize the agreement as soon as possible.
The meeting between the Prime Minister of Ukraine and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, scheduled for next week, aims to conclude crucial negotiations for the future economic partnership between the two countries.
The prime minister of Ukraine flies to Washington
The signing of the Memorandum of Intent lays the groundwork for an Economic Partnership Agreement and the establishment of an Investment Fund for the Reconstruction of Ukraine. Technical discussions on this subject took place on April 11-12 in Washington.
"Negotiating teams are expected to report on the progress by April 26, 2025, with the aim of completing discussions by that date and signing as soon as possible," the letter of intent states.
The memorandum noted the significant financial and material support given to Ukraine by the United States since Russia's full invasion in February 2022, the American people's desire to invest in a free, sovereign, and secure Ukraine, the pursuit of lasting peace in Ukraine, and the strong partnership between the nations and governments of the United States and Ukraine. It also acknowledged Ukraine's contribution to international peace and security through the voluntary relinquishment of the world's third-largest nuclear weapons arsenal, as mentioned by Interfax-Ukraine.
"The United States respects Ukraine's intentions to avoid conflicts in developing an agreement with Ukraine's accession commitments to the European Union or agreements with international financial institutions and other official creditors," the document emphasized.
Reuters reported, citing an unnamed Ukrainian Deputy Finance Minister, that the talks regarding the signing of the minerals agreement with the United States will take place in Washington on April 24.
Previous plans to sign the agreement were delayed by a turbulent meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky. The presence of American companies in Ukraine is anticipated to serve as an additional deterrent to further Russian aggression.
