Kyiv, US sign MoU for minerals deal

Full agreement to be approved 'next week'

- 

Ukraine and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) late on Thursday on a minerals agreement, according to Ukraine's economy minister, bringing both sides closer to a deal that has gone through multiple, contentious rounds of negotiations.

The signing fell short of a full agreement on the final terms of a minerals deal, which in earlier drafts had swivelled between what critics called a brazen extortion of Ukraine by the Trump administration and versions that included points sought by Ukraine, such as references to US support for post-settlement security guarantees.

There was no immediate comment from the White House. But the Ukrainian minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, announced the agreement in a post on Facebook, after signing it on a video call with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who was in Washington. Ms Svyrydenko said the agreement would "benefit both our peoples".