On April 30, 2025, the Financial Times reported that an agreement between Ukraine and the United States on joint development of mineral resources had encountered unexpected obstacles at the last minute. According to the publication, tensions arose during a visit by Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko to Washington, where the American side, represented by Finance Minister Scott Bessent, allegedly issued an ultimatum: either Svyrydenko signs all the documents immediately or returns home without an agreement. The incident highlights the complexity of the negotiations and the disagreements between the parties, despite the progress made earlier.

According to the Financial Times, the American side insists on simultaneously signing a framework agreement and a detailed document on the creation of a joint fund to manage investments in the mining sector. The United States is seeking to finally secure the deal, which, according to Bloomberg, should attract investment in Ukrainian energy and rare earth metals, the reserves of which are estimated at $11,5 trillion. However, the Ukrainian delegation insists that the agreement on the fund requires ratification by the Verkhovna Rada, which makes it impossible to sign it on April 30. The source of the publication also noted that over the weekend, Ukraine tried to make changes to the terms, which caused discontent on the American side.

Negotiations on the agreement began in February 2025, when the Donald Trump administration proposed an economic deal tying military aid to access to Ukrainian resources. According to Reuters, the US initially demanded control over half of the revenues from production, which sparked protests in Kyiv. After several rounds of negotiations, including a meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a compromise was reached: Ukraine's contribution would only take into account future aid, not the past $100 billion. The final draft, according to Bloomberg, stipulates that the agreement will not prevent Ukraine from joining the EU, which was a key demand of Kyiv.