US minerals deal is 'little' victory for Kyiv... and a step to peace

UKRAINIANS last night hailed Kyiv's minerals deal with the US as a step in the right direction to lasting peace.

- From Zak Garner-Purkis

After months of tense talks, the pact aims to give Donald Trump an economic incentive to continue supporting war-ravaged Ukraine.

It was signed in Washington DC on Wednesday by US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent and Ukrainian first deputy PM Yulia Svyrydenko.

President Trump initially wanted a £376billion share of Ukraine's rare earth and other minerals, in return for military aid the US had already given Kyiv. That was rejected by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, leading to Mr Trump called him "a dictator".

Now the deal states future US military help will count as part of America's investment into a joint reconstruction fund for Ukraine.

Kyiv says, with nearly £11.3trillion of mineral resources, it has Europe's's largest reserves of lithium, titanium, and uranium.