US, Ukraine Sign Deal on Resources and Reconstruction Fund

After months of fraught negotiations, the US and Ukraine have signed a sweeping agreement to jointly exploit Ukraine’s energy and mineral resources. Central to the deal is the creation of a US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund aimed at driving Ukraine’s post-war economic recovery. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hailed it as a step toward “lasting peace and prosperity,” while Ukraine sees it as vital to unlocking future military aid. Ukraine’s rich reserves of lithium, titanium, and graphite—critical to energy, defense, and industrial sectors—are a strategic draw for the US amid an ongoing trade war with China. Ukrainian Deputy PM Yulia Svyrydenko emphasized that the partnership is equal, with resources remaining under Ukrainian ownership. The deal also includes US contributions such as air defense systems. President Trump, a key driver of the talks, said the agreement would help recuperate America’s wartime investments while securing access to Ukraine’s rare-earth wealth.