US Says Mineral Deal With Ukraine Strengthens President Trump When Talking To Russia

The signing of the US and Ukrainian mineral deals. (Twitter/@Svyrydenko_Y)

JAKARTA - Kyiv and Washington on Thursday hailed a deal granting the United States special access to Ukraine's minerals a milestone, which a top US official said would allow President Donald Trump to negotiate with Russia on a stronger basis.

The Kremlin was silent about Wednesday's deal, but former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said it meant Trump had "destroyed the Kyiv regime" because Ukraine had to pay US military aid with mineral resources.

The deal, signed in Washington and promoted massively by President Trump, forms a joint investment fund for Ukraine's reconstruction as US President tries to secure a peaceful settlement in Russia's war in Ukraine.

The deal also provides the US with special access to Ukrainian minerals. This is at the heart of Ukraine's efforts to improve relations with President Trump and the White House which had stretched.

The deal will show "Russian leaders there is no difference of opinion between the Ukrainian people and the American people, between our goals," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox Business Network in an interview.

"And once again, I think this is a strong signal for the Russian leaders, and this gives President Trump the ability to now negotiate with Russia on a stronger basis," he said.

His remarks appear to have sent a signal to Russia that Washington is still sided with Kyiv despite a question mark of its commitment to its allies since Trump's return to the White House in January that destabilized US diplomacy.

Kyiv relies heavily on US military supplies during the war and says Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine since the US stepped up efforts to secure a peaceful settlement.

Separately, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Syhiba said the deal marked "an important milestone in Ukraine-US strategic partnership aimed at strengthening Ukraine's economy and security."

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who signed the agreement, said Ukraine had no debt obligations to the United States under the agreement, an important point in lengthy negotiations between the two countries.

The deal, he said, complied with Ukraine's constitution and Ukraine's campaign to join the European Union, key elements in Ukraine's negotiating position.

However, the agreement did not provide concrete US security guarantees for Ukraine, one of its original goals.

Ukraine is rich in natural resources including rare earth metals, which include being used in consumer electronics, electric vehicles, and military applications.

Currently, ground metal mining is rarely dominated by China, which is involved in a trade war with the US in line with the announcement of President Trump's tariff.

In addition to rare earth metals, Ukraine also has large reserves of iron, uranium and natural gas.