U.S. and Ukraine Sign Memorandum on Rare Earth Metals Deal

The United States and Ukraine signed a memorandum of understanding on April 17 regarding a rare earth metals deal, Orda.kz reports.

According to The New York Times, the document itself contains few concrete details, though Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko described it as "a step toward an agreement on economic partnership."

The memorandum outlines plans to establish a fund to facilitate investments in Ukraine's post-war reconstruction. However, the source of these investments is not specified.

Svyrydenko wrote on Facebook that the memorandum "will open up opportunities for significant investment, infrastructure modernization, and mutually beneficial partnership between Ukraine and the United States."

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent did not provide further comment but indicated that a more comprehensive deal on rare earth metals may be finalized next week.

Previous efforts to reach a deal had stalled over disagreements about the scale of U.S. assistance to Ukraine and the nature of possible compensation. The Trump administration recently signaled willingness to compromise and lower its initial demands.

The New York Times writes that Ukraine had little choice but to sign some version of the deal. In previous talks, Kyiv insisted on signing a memorandum of understanding first, hoping to ease political pressure and reach a more detailed agreement later.

The U.S. is reportedly seeking a share of profits from future Ukrainian infrastructure and mineral development projects. Former President Donald Trump previously said this would be a fair return for U.S. support during the war with Russia.

Original Author: Nikita Drobny