Parliamentary сommittee backs ratification of US minerals deal ahead of Verkhovna Rada vote
Ukraine's parliamentary committee on foreign policy has backed the ratification of the minerals deal with the U.S., lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said on May 6.
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 Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, will vote on the agreement's ratification on May 8.
Eleven members of the foreign policy committee supported the decision; one abstained from voting, and two others did not participate, according to Zhelezniak.
Following the signing of the agreement between Kyiv and Washington, the parties did not disclose details on how the Reconstruction Investment Fund will work, except that it will be managed in an equal partnership, with both sides contributing.
Earlier, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that future military aid from the U.S. could count as contributions to the fund, but previous assistance is not included.
Before parliament votes to ratify the minerals deal, Economy Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko will hold separate meetings with members of the Verkhovna Rada from each faction, the news outlet Suspilne reported.
The meetings with Svyrydenko will take place on May 6 and 7, and will allow lawmakers to ask questions and learn more about the details of the agreement.
The signing of the minerals deal followed months of negotiations that at times became contentious and strained the relationship between the U.S. and Ukraine.
The countries first planned to ink the deal in late February, but the agreement fell apart in the wake of the infamous White House argument between President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump.
The final deal avoids many elements in the earlier drafts that experts viewed as exploiting Ukraine, but still provides no concrete security guarantees from the U.S. The finalized agreement does prevent counting previously delivered U.S. military aid as a contribution to the joint fund.
Andrew Chakhoyan
