Progress in Ukraine-U.S. Minerals Deal

Ukraine and the U.S. are making progress in negotiating a minerals deal, following a memorandum signed last week. While no final agreement is expected this week, discussions continue. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent highlights the need to include the issue of frozen Russian assets in broader talks.

Ukraine and the United States have made strides in their bid to forge a minerals agreement, as announced by Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko on Thursday. A week after the two nations signed a memorandum, Marchenko highlighted that finalizing the deal remains a work in progress.

Speaking at an event organized by the Ukrainian embassy, Marchenko noted the collaborative efforts between Kyiv and Washington. Although progress has been made, he emphasized that several issues still require resolution, without going into specifics.

In related developments, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has urged that the ongoing dialogue include discussions on Russia's frozen assets, indicating a broader scope of negotiation.

(With inputs from agencies.)