US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasised the urgency of finalising the "economic partnership" between the United States and Ukraine during his meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Wednesday.
The US Treasury Department highlighted that "very productive technical discussions" are ongoing between the two nations in a statement released after the meeting.
On 17 April, Washington and Kiev signed a "memorandum of intent," marking the first step towards a complex agreement regarding access to Ukraine’s natural resources and strategic minerals.
The memorandum set a target to conclude negotiations by 26 April.
Plans to sign this agreement were delayed following a tense meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky in February.
President Trump aims for the agreement to grant the US royalties from profits derived from exploiting Ukrainian resources and rare metals, as compensation for the billions of dollars in military aid provided to Ukraine by his predecessor, Joe Biden.
In his meeting with the Ukrainian Prime Minister, Scott Bessent also reaffirmed US support for Ukrainian sovereignty and reiterated the country’s commitment to ensuring "lasting peace for the peoples of Ukraine and Russia."
