US don sign deal with Kyiv to share profits from di future sale of Ukraine mineral and energy reserves, after months of strong negotiations.

Di deal aim na to provide economic reason for US to continue to invest inside Ukraine' defence and reconstruction - as well as to address Washington concern over di amount of aid e don already contribute.

Ukraine dey believed to get ogbonge reserve of critical minerals like graphite, titanium and lithium. Dem be ogbonge resources because of dia use for renewable energy, military technology and infrastructure.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent say e show say both sides dey committed to lasting peace and prosperity for Ukraine.

Di deal go also see di establishment of investment fund to ginger Ukraine economic recovery from di war.

According to di statement from di US Treasury on Wednesday afternoon, di newly created US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund recognise di "significant financial and material support" di US don give Ukraine since Russia invade for February 2022.

Di US treasury secretary tok inside video statement say di deal go help "unlock Ukraine growth assets".

Di language of di announcement show beta solidarity with Ukraine dan usual for di Trump administration.

E refer to "Russia full scale invasion" and add say "no state or person wey finance or supply di Russian war machine go dey allowed to benefit from di reconstruction of Ukraine".

Kremlin never respond yet to di agreement.

For Kyiv, e dey seen as essential to accessing US military aid.

Ukraine Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko - wey fly go Washington to sign di deal on Wednesday - tok for post on X say di new fund go "attract global investment into our country".

Listing di deal provisions, she say e go involve projects in minerals, oil and gas, although di resources go remain di property of Ukraine.

Di partnership go dey equal, on a 50:50 basis, she add, and must dey ratified by lawmakers for Kyiv.

Under di deal, di US go contribute new assistance to Kyiv, she add, including, for example, air defence systems.

President Donald Trump don repeatedly push for di agreement as something wey go offer any future security guarantees to Kyiv.

Di draft of di deal also show say Ukraine go give Washington access to some of im natural resources in return for future US security assistance.

But e dey significantly less dan wetin Trump bin want, wey be pay back for all US military aid dem give since di start of di war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky don manage to reach some agreement with Washington.

Di deal bin dey delayed after US authorities say Kyiv bin dey try to make last-minute changes.

On Wednesday afternoon, one US source familiar with di talks criticise Ukraine for wanting to reopen some terms wey dem don finalise over di weekend.

Di source say some of di points bin include governance of di fund, issues with transparency, and steps to ensure say all funds go dey fully traceable.

Technical documents bin dey signed last week by representatives of both countries.

Di initial agreement bin due for February, but fall apart after a heated exchange at di White House wen Trump accuse Zelensky of "gambling with World War Three".

Breakthrough come days after Trump and Zelensky hold face-to-face meeting on di sideline of Pope Francis funeral, and as talks between Moscow and Washington over a possible ceasefire for Ukraine continue.

Phoning into di NewsNation network on Wednesday evening, Trump say e don press Zelensky for Vatican City to seal di deal.

"I bin tell am say na very good thing if we fit produce a deal say make you sign am," e tok, "because Russia dey much bigger and much stronger. Russia just dey go forward."

Di US president say di deal go recover di multi-billion dollar US assistance to Ukraine since di war begin and "much more in theory".

"So I g meet dem and I say, 'Look, we need to get rare earth.' Dem get great rare earth, meaning certain minerals, materials," Trump tok.

"Dem get things wey a lot of places no get. Na big asset wey dem get."

Di agreement dey comes inside one US trade war with China, wia 90% of di world current rare-earth stocks dey sourced from.



US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant (l) and Ukraine First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko (r) sign di natural resources deal