Active fighting is still taking place around the village of Shevchenko in Donetsk Oblast, home to one of Ukraine's largest lithium deposits, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces told the Kyiv Independent on June 27, denying reports Russia had occupied the village.
On June 16, the Ukrainian government reportedly agreed to begin drafting recommendations for a bidding process to develop the Dobra lithium field in central Ukraine.
"We discussed very concrete steps how to make this fund operational during this year," Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said during a visit to Washington.
The legislation, supported by 309 members of parliament, enshrines financial provisions critical to executing the U.S.-Ukraine deal signed on April 30 and ratified by Kyiv on May 8.
"The last step was a diplomatic note from the United States, which I personally received this morning. The Fund is officially launched," Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said on May 23.
The move follows Ukraine's ratification of the minerals agreement, deepening U.S.-Ukraine economic ties and signaling expanded U.S. involvement in Ukraine's long-term recovery.
"Amendments to the Budget Code are needed to implement the provisions on funding the U.S.-Ukrainian Reconstruction Investment Fund," lawmaker Roksolana Pidlasa said.
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is reportedly offering a deal that would give U.S. companies access to Syria's natural wealth, reminiscent of the minerals agreement Washington recently signed with Kyiv.
According to the Verkhovna Rada's website, Ukraine completed the ratification of the U.S.-Ukraine minerals agreement on May 12. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the deal.
Key developments on May 8: * Over 100 clashes reported on the front line since Russia’s Victory Day ceasefire began * Ukraine's parliament ratifies minerals deal between Washington, Kyiv * Russia has damaged, destroyed over 2,300 medical infrastructure facilities since beginning of full-scale invasion, health ministry says * Russia's ballistic missiles make
The agreement, signed on April 30, establishes a joint investment fund between Kyiv and Washington and grants the U.S. special access to projects developing Ukraine's natural resources.
The following is the May 6, 2025 edition of our Ukraine Business Roundup weekly newsletter. To get the biggest news in business and tech from Ukraine directly in your inbox, subscribe here. As I’m sure you saw, the U.S. and Ukraine finally signed the minerals agreement after months
The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, will vote on the agreement's ratification on May 8.
MPs will be able to ask questions and learn more about the details of the agreement in meetings with Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko May 6-7, MP Serhii Sobolev told the news outlet Suspilne. The ratification vote is scheduled for May 8.
News of Victoria Roshchyna’s brutal death at the hands of Russian captors shocked Ukraine and the world last week. Her body was returned mutilated — eyes gouged out, brain removed — bearing evidence of unspeakable brutality. It wasn’t an accident of war. It was a signature of it. This is
"So this economic partnership deal in itself is a very important part of the broader security... architecture... frankly, that fund will be successful if Ukraine is stable and peaceful. So in a way, it's an important part of... future security guarantees," Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, said.
The Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur dives into the top stories of this week from the intensifying Russian spring offensive to the shocking torture and murder of Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roschyna. Also, the long-gestating minerals deal has finally been signed, what is in it and is it a good deal for Ukraine?
Visiting Washington during the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Spring Meetings this April felt surreal. The weather was nice, but the air was heavy with the uncertainty of the tariff war, President Donald Trump's administration’s criticisms of international institutions, and the far more immediate tension of geopolitics between
"Our task is to do this as soon as possible, but it is very difficult to predict it now. I think it will take months, definitely not years," First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said.
Despite the uncertainty, Ukrainian officials have touted the deal as a political milestone that could help revive U.S. support under Donald Trump.
"I think this is a strong signal to the Russian leadership and it gives President Trump the ability to now negotiate with Russia on an even stronger basis as opposed to the daylight that had been previously created between the U.S. and Ukraine," U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox Business on May 1.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the minerals agreement — which sets up a joint investment fund between Kyiv and Washington — had been significantly revised during months of negotiations to ensure equal terms and benefits for both sides.
The signing of a long-awaited minerals deal between the U.S. and Ukraine has come after months of tense negotiations as Kyiv worked on resetting its tumultuous relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump. The key deal, inked on April 30, creates an investment fund and grants the U.S.
The U.S. and Ukraine signed the long-awaited minerals agreement on April 30, paving the way for further American support of Kyiv through a joint investment fund that will contribute to Ukraine’s reconstruction. The deal comes after months of sometimes fraught negotiations, including an Oval Office shouting match between
U.S. officials framed the agreement as a sign of lasting support for Ukraine, and it comes amid an apparent resetting of relations between Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky.
"I wanted to be protected... I didn’t want to be out there and look foolish," U.S. President Donald Trump said, referring to a minerals deal signed between Ukraine and the U.S. on April 30.
Ukraine and the United States on April 30 signed a long-awaited minerals agreement that establishes a joint investment fund for reconstruction in Ukraine.
The following is the April 29, 2025 edition of our Ukraine Business Roundup weekly newsletter. To get the biggest news in business and tech from Ukraine directly in your inbox, subscribe here. The following is an excerpt from our latest investigation by investigative reporter Alisa Yurchenko. On March 29, the
Reuters reported on April 30 that Washington expects Ukraine to sign two additional documents along with the minerals deal, while Kyiv maintains those texts are not yet finalized.
According to the source, the final version of the deal includes a 50-50 investment structure between the two countries and contains "a lot of good details."
On March 29, the sanctioned Russia-flagged vessel Sv. Nikolay quietly docked at the Algerian port of Annaba near the coal terminal, waiting to be unloaded. The metallurgical coke the ship was carrying — a key ingredient in steelmaking produced from coal — had been stolen. The Kyiv Independent traced the vessel’s
"It has been agreed that the document does not count the assistance provided before its signing," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on April 27, following talks on the minerals deal in Washington.
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