Ukrainian Parliament Approves U.S.-Ukraine Mineral Agreement, Trump Announces Plans to Hold Talks with Zelenskyy

On Thursday local time, Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada (parliament) voted in favor of ratifying a mineral agreement between the US and Ukraine, hoping to secure more US military aid. US President Trump subsequently stated that he would hold talks with Zelenskyy.

Despite concerns from some Ukrainian lawmakers about whether the government had provided them with all the information regarding the mineral agreement and some compromises in the deal, the agreement was ratified with 338 votes in favor and no votes against.

After months of arduous negotiations, the mineral agreement was reached last week. It envisages the establishment of a joint investment fund and grants the US priority access to its partner's natural resources.

Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister Svyrydenko wrote on social media: "The Ukrainian parliament has approved a historic economic partnership agreement between Ukraine and the US. This document is not just a legal framework; it is the foundation for a new model of interaction with a key strategic partner."

However, some lawmakers expressed concerns about the lack of details in some clauses of the agreement, such as how the investment fund for Ukraine's reconstruction would be managed and how any contributions would be provided.

Svyrydenko addressed these concerns at a press conference. He said that the investment fund would become operational within a few weeks and that its success would depend on the level of US participation.

She emphasized that the fund would have a 50-50 equity structure between Ukraine and the US and would be jointly managed by both countries. The agreement explicitly states that Ukraine retains ownership and control over its mineral resources within its borders.

Ukrainian officials have stated that two supplementary documents will provide detailed explanations and will be released at a later date. The deal may not yield returns for 10 years or more.

So far, despite the signing of the mineral agreement, there has been little progress in the ceasefire negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, which has frustrated Trump. Russia has demanded that Ukraine recognize Russia's sovereignty over Crimea and the four regions in eastern Ukraine and maintain permanent neutrality, a demand that Ukraine has rejected.

Ukraine has expressed its willingness to accept the US proposal for an immediate 30-day temporary ceasefire, which could be extended if both sides reach an agreement. Russia, on the other hand, has proposed a three-day ceasefire from May 8 to 10.

In addition, Ukraine hopes to secure new US military aid through the mineral agreement, particularly the much-needed Patriot air defense systems, to defend against Russia's increasingly frequent missile attacks.

Researchers from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology stated that approximately 47% of Ukrainians support the mineral agreement, 22% believe it may have a negative impact, and 19% believe it will have little impact.

After the Ukrainian parliament approved the mineral agreement, Trump stated that the US had just reached a rare earth agreement with Ukraine, which had now been fully signed and approved, allowing the US to gain access to "a significant amount of very high-quality rare earths."

Trump said, "We appreciate this, and I will be speaking with Zelenskyy in the near future." However, he did not provide further details about the date or format of the talks.