US‑Ukraine pact signals united front against Russia
The mineral resources agreement between the United States and Ukraine sends a clear signal to Russia that the goals of the American and Ukrainian nations are fundamentally aligned, stated US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in an interview with Fox Business Network on Thursday.
On May 1st, Ukraine announced that it had signed a cooperation agreement with the United States concerning natural resources and national reconstruction.
The agreement's signing was discussed by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who emphasized that it serves as a signal to Russia that there is no fundamental difference between the objectives of the American and Ukrainian nations.
Discussions surrounding the agreement had been ongoing for months, with Ukraine initially hesitant to accept the conditions set by the American side regarding participation in the extraction of Ukrainian resources.
We'll be dig, dig, digging (rare earth metals - editor's note). This demonstrates a significant commitment on the part of the United States - said President Trump in February, just before a notable meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky ended in disagreement.
As recently as April, both sides were fine-tuning the agreement. The text presented to Ukraine does not fully reflect the Ukrainian approach, said Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna at the beginning of the month.
US Treasury Secretary on Ukraine: Our goals are the same
The American people don't make any money if Ukrainians don't prosper. So now we are fully aligned in terms of economics. And again, I think this is a strong signal to the Russian leadership, and it gives President Trump the ability to now negotiate with Russia on even a stronger basis.
This is a total economic partnership. This isn't just rare earth, it's infrastructure, it's energy. So there's the opportunity here for both sides to really win, he added.
Under the agreement, an American-Ukrainian Investment Fund for Reconstruction will be established to invest in the mining, energy, and infrastructure sectors. It will be co-managed by both parties, with the funds directed exclusively to Ukraine.
The United States and Ukraine will contribute equally to the fund, with the value of future US military aid counted as part of the USA's contribution. Ukraine will contribute half of the revenues from exploiting new resource deposits to the fund.
This is not the only significant decision the United States has made recently regarding Ukraine. The "Kyiv Post" reported on Thursday that the USA plans to approve a weapons sale to Ukraine worth at least $50 million. Sources stated that the Trump administration notified Congress of its decision on Wednesday. This represents the first such action since the start of the US president's second term.
"Crippling" sanctions on Russia. Senator: we have support
On Wednesday, another warning was issued by a close associate of President Trump, Senator Lindsey Graham. If Russia fails to engage in serious negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, the United States is prepared to impose new harsh sanctions, he declared.
According to a bill seen by Bloomberg News, the sanctions would involve tariffs on imports from countries purchasing Russian oil, petroleum products, natural gas, or uranium.
Senator Graham confirmed the support of 72 senators for a bill introducing "crippling" sanctions against Russia, as well as tariffs on countries purchasing resources from it, reported Bloomberg.
