The United States and Ukraine have signed an “economic partnership agreement” that will give Washington access to Kyiv’s mineral resources in exchange for establishing an investment fund in Ukraine. The US and Ukraine have been trying to hammer out the natural resources deal since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January. Compared to earlier drafts, the final agreement is reportedly less lopsided in favor of the US and is not as far-reaching. It stipulates that future American military assistance to Ukraine will count as part of the US investment into the fund, rather than calling for reimbursement for past assistance.

After months of tense negotiations, the U.S. and Ukraine signed a deal that is expected to give Washington access to the country’s critical minerals and other natural resources, an agreement Kyiv hopes will secure long-term support for its defense against Russia. According to Ukrainian officials, the version of the deal signed Wednesday is far more beneficial to Ukraine than previous versions, which they said reduced Kyiv to a junior partner and gave Washington unprecedented rights to the country’s resources. The deal itself has not yet been made public, but the Economy Ministry and the prime minister’s office have offered some details.

Ukraine has officially signed a deal with the United States, providing access to the nation’s rare earth minerals. Regarding national security and defense, rare earth minerals are used in missile guidance systems, radar, jet engines, and communication systems. In addition to the manufacturing of smartphones, computers, electric vehicle batteries, wind turbines, and solar panels, they are also crucial for producing advanced military hardware like F-35 fighter jets and nuclear submarines.