New round of US, Ukraine minerals deal talks to begin April 24, official says
A new round of negotiations on the minerals agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine will begin in Washington on April 24, Deputy Economy Minister and Trade Representative Taras Kachka said, Ukrinform reported.
The talks follow the signing of a memorandum on April 17, which outlines plans to establish a long-term economic partnership and a joint reconstruction investment fund.
The agreement has not yet been finalized, with several unresolved legal and technical questions still on the table, according to Kachka.
"We are now working with our and American legal teams and are trying to remove many technical issues to narrow them down to the most sensitive ones that will require a political decision," he said.
According to the memorandum, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal will visit Washington on April 21 to meet with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and support the final phase of negotiations.
Technical discussions are expected to conclude by April 26, with the goal of signing the agreement shortly afterward. Kachka emphasized that the constructiveness of the discussions will determine whether the timeline holds.
"We are ready to show maximum efficiency, but the entire volume of documents we have is tens of pages long," he said.
The minister clarified that the deal does not involve converting previously provided U.S. aid into debt. Instead, the fund is designed to generate returns for both sides.
"The United States, as one of the partners, will earn at least as much from the activities of this fund as the aid provided," Kachka noted, adding that Ukraine would also benefit from future investment flows.
The deal has been a contentious issue in recent months. A scheduled signing on Feb. 28 was derailed by a heated exchange between President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump told reporters on April 17 that the agreement could be signed as early as April 24 — a date that appears to conflict with the memorandum's projected completion timeline.
Earlier this month, Bessent said the minerals deal would signal Washington's enduring economic commitment to Ukraine and could serve as leverage to encourage Russia to engage in peace negotiations.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
