KYIV—After months of grinding talks, the United States and Ukraine sealed a landmark minerals deal on April 30, 2025, unlocking Kyiv’s vast natural resources for American investors while funneling funds into Ukraine’s war-torn rebuilding efforts. The agreement, hashed out against the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing invasion, marks a pivotal moment in U.S.-Ukraine relations, blending economic ambition with geopolitical grit.
The deal grants Washington preferential access to Ukraine’s rich deposits of lithium, cobalt, and other critical minerals—resources vital for everything from electric vehicle batteries to military tech. In exchange, the U.S. will back a reconstruction investment fund aimed at reviving Ukraine’s shattered infrastructure. Negotiations, which kicked off in earnest last fall, hit snags over terms and security concerns, with Ukraine’s frontline mines still under threat from Russian shelling. By mid-April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signaled a framework was in place, and after a final push, the agreement was signed in Kyiv.
Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukraine’s economic development and trade minister, called the deal a beacon for global investors. On April 30, she posted on social media that it proves Ukraine’s reliability as a long-term partner, even in wartime. The agreement sidesteps debt traps, focusing instead on joint investment, according to Ukrainian negotiators who wrapped up talks in Washington earlier this month. For the U.S., the deal secures a foothold in a mineral-rich nation at a time when China dominates global supply chains.
The signing wasn’t all handshakes and smiles. Talks were tense, with U.S. President Donald Trump, who’d long eyed Ukraine’s resources, pushing hard for terms that protect American interests. At a town hall on April 25, Trump framed the deal as payback for billions in U.S. aid to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began in 2022. He recounted a sideline chat with Zelenskyy at Pope Francis’ funeral in Vatican City days earlier, where they ironed out final details. Ukraine, meanwhile, walked a tightrope, balancing economic concessions with its need for unwavering Western support against Moscow.
The agreement’s roots trace back to February 2025, when early outlines emerged during Zelenskyy’s White House visit. By April 18, a memorandum of intent was signed, setting the stage for the final pact. Ukrainian officials emphasized that no security guarantees were traded away—a sticking point in earlier talks. Instead, the deal leans on economic cooperation, with 50% of future mineral revenues feeding into the joint fund.
For Ukraine, the stakes are sky-high. Its mineral wealth, estimated in the trillions, could anchor a postwar recovery, but active war zones like Donetsk, where open-pit mines operate under constant threat, complicate extraction. The U.S. sees a strategic win, locking in a supply of rare earths to fuel its green energy push and reduce reliance on adversarial suppliers.
Signed on April 30, 2025, in Kyiv.
Reconstruction fund to channel 50% of mineral revenues.
No security guarantees included in the agreement.
Negotiations spanned from fall 2024 to April 2025.