Kyiv,18 April (H.S.): On Thursday, Ukraine announced the signing of a memorandum with Washington, marking the initial step towards an agreement focused on mineral resource development in Ukraine, a deal backed by former U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump indicated that the formal accord could be finalized next week. Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukraine's first deputy prime minister and economy minister, shared the news on social media, stating, We are happy to announce the signing, which paves the way for an Economic Partnership Agreement and the establishment of the Investment Fund for the Reconstruction of Ukraine.
A Ukrainian delegation recently traveled to Washington to engage in talks following a proposal for a broader deal from the Trump administration. While an earlier framework agreement was not finalized, Trump discussed the potential minerals deal that could be signed imminently. Alongside Trump, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent mentioned that details were still under discussion, but indicated the agreement is based on previous talks, referring to it as an 80-page document.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hinted at the possibility of signing the memorandum online that day, emphasizing the constructive intentions behind it. He noted that the U.S. had initiated the offer to sign this preliminary memorandum ahead of the comprehensive deal, which would require parliamentary ratification in Ukraine. Svyrydenko reiterated the significant progress made in negotiations.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
