Ukraine's Justice Ministry has hired the American-British law firm Hogan Lovells for assistance in negotiating a critical minerals deal with the United States, according to a filing under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
The news comes as Ukraine and the U.S. began technical consultations on the minerals agreement on April 11.
The Justice Ministry has retained Hogan Lovells U.S. as of April 9, according to a registration listed on the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) web portal. A source confirmed to Reuters on April 11 that the Ukrainian government has retained the firm.
Hogan Lovells is an American-British firm with headquarters in Washington, D.C. and London.
Additional details are not provided in the registration listing. The registration does indicate that the Victor Pinchuk Foundation hired the firm in 2023.
The latest version of the minerals deal, an initiative U.S. President Donald Trump championed as a way for Washington to "recoup" military aid to Kyiv, reportedly grants the United States extensive control over Ukraine's natural resources through a joint investment fund.
A source who spoke to Reuters regarding the April 11 talks described them as "antagonistic" and unlikely to produce a breakthrough.
"The negotiating environment is very antagonistic," the source said, describing the latest version of the proposal as "maximalist" in its ambitions over Ukraine's mineral wealth.
Whilte the agreement would grant the U.S. unprecedented control over Ukraine's natural resources, it still lacks any concrete security guarantees.
In an interview with the Times published April 11, U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg said that resumed negotiations on the minerals deal proved that relations between Washington and Kyiv were "back on track."
The official also acknowledged that the U.S. underestimated the complexities of such a deal.
"It's not a simple yes or no," he said.
"People didn’t really understand the process as well as they should have."
Adam Sybera
(Updated: )
