Technical consultations between Ukrainian and American teams are set to take place on Friday, 11 April, as part of an important agreement focused on the development of Ukraine’s critical mineral resources.
Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, confirmed the discussions during a press conference in Brussels. The consultations will involve teams from Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Economy and are scheduled to take place in Washington, where technical details of the agreement will be finalised.
Speaking to journalists, Stefanishyna refrained from offering specific details about the upcoming talks, stating that she would provide further commentary after the meeting. “I am not in a position to review any details because the meeting will only take place tomorrow; I will be able to comment tomorrow,” she said.
The agreement has been a key focus in recent months. However, Stefanishyna made it clear that Ukraine would not allow any aspect of the deal to undermine its existing financial commitments. These include obligations within the Ukraine Facility, macro-financial assistance, and cooperation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“This is something that is not subjected to any negotiating format, and having said that, it means that appropriate adjustments have to be done to the format of the agreement later on,” she stressed.
Background to the Deal:
The groundwork for the mineral agreement between Ukraine and the United States was laid in March during talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah. During those discussions, the leaders of both nations agreed on a framework to support the development of Ukraine’s vast mineral resources, including rare earth metals, crucial for global supply chains.
In a significant development, Stefanishyna announced that Ukraine was ready to sign the deal at any time. On 24 March, US President Donald Trump confirmed that the agreement concerning rare earth metals would be signed “soon.”
Further complicating matters, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed that the US had proposed a new draft of the mineral agreement, which would require parliamentary ratification. This shift in approach would go beyond the initial framework and could impact the speed at which the deal moves forward.
As the consultations begin, the eyes of the world will be on the outcome, with the potential to reshape the global mineral market and strengthen the strategic ties between Ukraine and the United States.
