US President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Kyiv: Ukraine is ready to sign a mineral resources deal with the United States and could do so later on Wednesday, a Ukrainian government source told Reuters.
"I think maybe late evening Kyiv time, the deal there can be signed," the source said.
Ukrainian officials hope that signing the deal promoted by US President Donald Trump will help to firm up softening American support for Kyiv in the war triggered by Russia's full-scale invasion more than three years ago.
First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko was travelling to the United States to sign the agreement, the Ukrainian government source added.
The two sides signed a memorandum on April 18 as an initial step towards clinching an accord on developing mineral resources in Ukraine. In the memorandum, they said they aimed to complete talks by April 26 and sign the deal as soon as possible.
Two days later, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Kyiv had agreed that past US aid provided to Kyiv would not be counted as part of a minerals deal.
During a trip to the United States last week, Shmyhal met US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and reported "good progress" on the agreement.
Shmyhal also said that Kyiv had clearly defined the red lines regarding the agreement's compliance with Ukraine's European obligations and Ukrainian legislation.