Kyiv-Washington Mineral Deal Progress: No Final Agreement This Week

Ukraine and the U.S. have made strides in their mineral resources agreement, but no final deal will be reached this week. A memorandum was signed last week as part of ongoing negotiations. U.S. Treasury's involvement highlights the broader geopolitical implications, including discussions on frozen Russian assets.

Ukraine's Finance Minister, Serhii Marchenko, announced Thursday that there has been significant progress in the mineral resources deal negotiations between Kyiv and Washington. However, no final agreement is expected this week.

An initial memorandum was signed a week ago, marking the first step towards a potential deal aimed at developing Ukraine's mineral resources, an initiative actively supported by U.S. President Donald Trump but proving challenging to clinch.

Marchenko noted ongoing close cooperation between the teams, with some unresolved issues still under discussion. Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has expressed interest in integrating talks about frozen Russian assets into the broader discussions.

(With inputs from agencies.)