Delegation from Ukraine to arrive soon to discuss minerals deal – US Treasury Secretary Bessent
A Ukrainian team is set to arrive in the U.S. either late this week or early next to hammer out details of a minerals deal, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a Bloomberg interview.
"We believe this deal so important for the American people, for the Ukrainian people, and for the peace process," he said, adding that Ukraine has hired legal counsel and the agreement is "ready on our side."
The statement follows the U.S. imposing a 10% tariff on Ukrainian goods.
The push for a special pact to jointly protect and invest in Ukraine’s critical resources—such as uranium, titanium, lithium, and graphite—was a key plank in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Victory Plan, unveiled in October 2024.
The U.S. first sent Ukraine a draft agreement on February 12, 2025, but Zelenskyy rejected it three days later, citing absent security guarantees.
On February 28, an improved version was agreed upon ahead of Zelenskyy’s U.S. visit, only for its signing to collapse after a public spat with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office.
On March 4, Zelenskyy signaled readiness to sign, a move Trump acknowledged in a U.S. Congress speech.
That same day, CBS News reported Trump’s desire to rework it into a "bigger, better" deal.
