MOSCOW, April 18. /TASS/. Ukraine and the US have signed a memorandum expressing their determination to reach a deal on minerals, Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko said.
"Today we have made a step toward a joint agreement on economic partnership with the US. Ukraine and the United States of America signed a memorandum certifying the constructive joint work of our teams and the intention to conclude a deal that will be beneficial to both our nations," she wrote on Facebook (banned in Russia as it's owned by Meta Corporation, which is designated an extremist organization in Russia).
According to the official, the sides are preparing to set up an investment fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine. The future agreement, she said, will pave the way for significant investment and upgrade of Ukrainian infrastructure.
"Coming up next is the finalization of the text of the deal and its signing. And then ratification by parliaments. Thank you to our technical teams - the Ukrainian and American ones - for their professional, constructive and fast work," Sviridenko stated.
The signing of the minerals deal was upended on February 28 after a shouting match between Vladimir Zelensky and US President Donald Trump at the White House. On March 27, Kiev said it had received a new version of the document from Washington, which turned out to be much tougher than the previous one. The proposed new deal would oblige Kiev to compensate the US for over $120 billion in aid received. The United States would gain control over an investment fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine that would be filled up with some of Kiev’s income from royalties and rents from mining. Ukraine repeatedly said that it is still working out its position on the agreement, and Zelensky complained about the change in conditions by Washington.