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KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine and the United States have reached an agreement on a broad economic framework that includes access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, three senior Ukrainian officials said Tuesday.
The officials, who requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly, indicated that Kyiv hopes the deal will help secure continued U.S. military support, which remains critical for Ukraine.
The U.S. administration under President Donald Trump has not yet responded to requests for comment.
According to one official, the agreement could be signed as early as Friday, with plans being considered for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to visit Washington and meet with Trump. Another official emphasized that the deal would provide an opportunity for both leaders to discuss ongoing military aid, making its finalization a top priority for Kyiv.
Some technical details are still being worked out, but the draft agreement does not include a controversial Trump administration proposal that would have given the U.S. $500 billion in profits from Ukraine’s rare earth minerals as repayment for wartime assistance. Instead, the agreement establishes joint ownership of a fund, with Ukraine set to contribute 50% of future proceeds from state-owned resources, including minerals, oil, and gas. One official described the deal as offering better investment terms, while another noted that Kyiv secured favorable amendments and viewed the outcome as positive.
However, the agreement does not include security guarantees—a topic expected to be a key point of discussion when Zelenskyy and Trump meet.
Negotiations have made progress despite recent tensions between the two leaders. Last week, Zelenskyy voiced strong objections to a deal pushed by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during a visit to Kyiv, as well as during a subsequent meeting in Munich with Vice President JD Vance. His main concern was the lack of security guarantees in the American proposal.
A breakthrough was reached during a three-day visit to Ukraine last week by retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia.
The idea for the agreement was first introduced by Zelenskyy last fall as part of his strategy to strengthen Ukraine’s position in future negotiations with Moscow.
