Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko said that "significant progress" has been made in negotiations with the United States on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement, which includes an agreement on rare earth minerals.
In a post on the X platform on April 16, Sviridenko stated that teams from both sides would continue to work on specific points of the agreement, but that "much has already been agreed."
"We have now agreed with the US side to record this progress through the relevant memorandum of intent. We are preparing to complete the formalization of the agreement soon," she wrote, without providing details.
The Trump administration has made securing rare earth supply chains a strategic priority, especially as global competition with China intensifies. The deal with Ukraine is seen in Washington as a way to diversify sources of the key mineral and reduce America's dependence on Chinese exports.
It is also believed that Trump sees this agreement as a way to compensate for the billions of dollars in aid Washington provided to Ukraine in its war with Russia, which began after the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Ceasefire negotiations are taking place in parallel with economic partnership talks.
Sviridenko stated that once the draft agreement is finalized, its ratification by the Ukrainian parliament will be required to ensure that it is in line with Ukraine's long-term national interests.
"This agreement will create opportunities for investment and development in Ukraine and lay the foundation for real economic growth for both Ukraine and the United States," she said.
Yulia Sviridenko's statement comes a day after President Volodymyr Zelensky described recent talks between the US and Ukraine as "positive," especially in the context of parallel and important negotiations on strategic minerals - resources crucial to modern technologies and national security.
Zelensky confirmed that multiple meetings are taking place and urged the public to continue monitoring the situation.
However, the negotiations are taking place in the shadow of long-standing tensions between Trump and Zelensky.
On March 30, Trump publicly accused Zelensky of trying to back out of an agreement on strategically important minerals, warning that such a move could cause "serious consequences."
The accusation followed a Bloomberg News report that Ukraine was preparing to propose key changes to the draft agreement, particularly regarding rare earth minerals – resources vital to electronics, defense systems and renewable energy technologies. The alleged changes include increasing US investment in Ukraine’s mining sector.
According to the Financial Times and Bloomberg, the United States is advocating a new strategic framework that would secure access to Ukrainian energy resources and deepen bilateral cooperation in key sectors.
As Kiev and Washington move closer to formalizing a broader economic partnership and strategic minerals agreement, these talks could shape Ukraine’s post-war economy and shift the geopolitical balance in energy and technology supply chains in Europe and beyond.
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