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US has 'moved beyond minerals deal' to focus on lasting ceasefire in Ukraine, White House says

by Kateryna Hodunova and The Kyiv Independent news desk March 19, 2025 9:58 PM 2 min read
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt conducts a news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on March 17, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Washington has moved on from a minerals deal with Kyiv to focus on achieving a lasting ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press briefing on March 19.

Leavitt said that did not mean a deal for the U.S. to develop Ukraine's mineral resources was off the table, but that the two sides had "moved beyond just the economic minerals deal framework, and (are) looking at a lasting ceasefire" in Ukraine.

After weeks of tense negotiations, the deal was set to be signed on Feb. 28, but that plan was derailed after a public clash between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, leaving the agreement's fate uncertain.

After the U.S. froze military assistance for Kyiv, Zelensky issued a statement in which he called the spat "regrettable" and reaffirmed his readiness to sign the minerals deal and work toward peace.

Reuters reported that the deal was expected to be signed on March 4, but this claim was disputed by U.S. officials, and no agreement was signed.

The long-debated agreement would establish a fund to which Ukraine would contribute 50% of proceeds from the future monetization of state-owned mineral resources, including oil, gas, and logistics infrastructure.

The U.S. reportedly put forth three proposals of the mineral deal, but the Ukrainian side turned down the first two because they did not include security agreements, even as Washington ramped up the pressure.

The third version was also void of concrete security commitments but included a line reading that the fund "will be reinvested at least annually in Ukraine to promote the safety, security and prosperity of Ukraine."

The Trump administration has been reluctant to commit to Ukraine's security, arguing that the economic agreement is a security guarantee of itself and that Europe should take responsibility for Kyiv's defense.

What the US-Ukraine mineral deal actually means
As Kyiv and Washington celebrate agreeing to jointly develop Ukraine’s natural resources after weeks of tense negotiations, the deal still has a long way to go before the money starts flowing. Officials, experts, and those close to the deal say the current version of the agreement is an improvement

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