Ukraine has agreed with the US on a deal to jointly develop its natural resources, people familiar with the matter said, in what the White House considers a first step toward reaching a ceasefire with Russia.
Ukraine’s Cabinet is expected to recommend on Wednesday that the deal be signed, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations.
President Donald Trump has pressured Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to accept the deal, first presented by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Kyiv earlier in February, but which the Ukrainian president rejected.
US officials have said that binding Ukraine to the US through economic ties would provided a de facto security shield. A detailed agreement is expected to be worked out later. The Financial Times reported the accord earlier Tuesday.
