KYIV, Ukraine
Ukraine's parliament voted Thursday to ratify long-awaited minerals deal with the United States, an agreement Kyiv hopes will pave the way for future military support from Washington.
The deal, signed last week,
will see Washington and Kyiv jointly develop Ukraine's natural resources and
minerals.
Kyiv and Washington planned to
sign the agreement in February, but a White House clash between US President
Donald Trump and Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky derailed the talks.
The deal does not include any
security guarantees from Washington, but the United States argues boosting its
business interests in Ukraine will itself act as a bulwark against Russia,
which invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Zelensky praised the deal as a
"new chapter" in relations, while expressing hope it could lead to
eventual security support.
"Right now, it serves as
a strong foundation for security cooperation, and in the long term, it offers
an opportunity for Ukraine and the US to expand mutually beneficial economic
collaboration," he said in a post on X.
The ratification was approved
by 338 out of 347 lawmakers, with none voting against.
Trump initially described the
accord as "money back" for the wartime aid Ukraine received under his
predecessor Joe Biden, but Kyiv says it has since been renegotiated to ensure
"equal" benefits for both sides.
The deal is not linked to any
past debt and sets up a joint "recovery fund", with profits
exclusively invested in Ukraine for the first 10 years.
New military aid from
Washington may be counted as its contribution to the joint investment fund.
It is unclear how soon any
tangible benefits from the agreement can be put in place.
Fighting is still raging in
the east and many of Ukraine's resource deposits lie in areas occupied by
Russia's army.
Washington, which has been
Kyiv's biggest backer, signalled the deal was essential if Ukraine wanted to
carry on getting such support.
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