President Trump has enacted a long-anticipated initiative that ties future American military support for Ukraine to a new bilateral investment arrangement based on Ukraine’s natural resources — effectively shifting the financial burden away from U.S. taxpayers.
After prolonged discussions, Washington and Kyiv finalized the agreement on Wednesday. The deal sets up a jointly managed investment fund backed in part by revenue from Ukraine’s sale of oil, gas, and mineral rights licenses. Both nations will share the profits equally.
Instead of contributing cash, the United States can apply the dollar value of any military hardware, advanced systems, or tactical training it provides to Ukraine as a credit toward its share of the investment, as laid out in the agreement.
“If, after the effective date, the Government of the United States of America delivers new military assistance to the Government of Ukraine in any form — including the donation of weapons systems, ammunition, technology or training — the capital contribution of the U.S. Partner will be deemed to be increased by the assessed value of such military assistance,” the mineral deal said.
The new structure does not interfere with the remaining military aid previously approved by Congress under Joe Biden, which is expected to run out in the coming weeks. It also does not compel the United States to sell any specific defense systems to Ukraine.
At this stage, the exact financial commitments from both sides remain unresolved. Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko explained that logistical negotiations are still underway.
When those negotiations conclude, a secondary agreement — outlining the detailed framework for how the initiative will be executed — will be submitted to Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, for official approval. Hanna Shelest, a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, said that this ratification could take about a month.
“What I heard from a few diplomats in Ukraine is that the US wanted us to sign it immediately,” Shelest said, “so I understand that a draft is available, but [the] Ukrainian side said that we cannot sign it without ratification.”
There is cautious optimism among Ukrainian leaders that this agreement could change President Trump’s current policy of denying sales of key missile defense systems, even as Ukraine continues to face intense attacks from Russian drones and missile barrages.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed last month that he requested permission to purchase up to 10 Patriot missile batteries — a U.S.-exclusive defense system — for $15 billion, but that President Trump declined the proposal.
Some Ukrainian insiders believe the deal reflects a growing realization that Trump views international aid as a business transaction.
“The Ukrainians’ mistake was thinking that Trump wanted this so badly that they could leverage it,” one source familiar with Kyiv’s internal negotiations told The Post, adding that the deal was temporarily stalled after a heated Oval Office exchange on February 28 involving Trump, Zelensky, and Vice President JD Vance.
Lieutenant Denis Yaroslavsky, who leads a Ukrainian special reconnaissance unit, told The Post that Ukraine must align with Trump’s worldview, which he described as largely unaffected by moral appeals.
“Only pragmatic economic proposals matter,” Yaroslavsky said. “… Today, Ukraine has a small but real chance to leverage this approach to achieve a swift cease-fire.
“This is the first step, hopefully it will entail a merger in the great alliance of our countries.”
Observers note that although the agreement does not obligate the U.S. to supply more weapons, the clause permitting further contributions sends a strategic message to Moscow that American support remains an option.
Russia appeared to take note. On Thursday, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev lashed out at Trump, ridiculing the arrangement and mocking Ukraine’s future viability.
“Trump has finally pressured the Kyiv regime to pay for US aid with mineral resources,” he posted to Telegram. “Now, the country that is about to disappear will have to use its national wealth to pay for military supplies.”
{Matzav.com}