Ukraine completes steps for minerals deal with US, deputy prime minister says
Ukraine completes steps for minerals deal with US, deputy prime minister says
Ukraine has concluded procedures for implementation of a deal with the United States on exploiting minerals, including the operation of an investment fund, the country's first deputy prime minister said on Tuesday.
Yulia Svyrydenko gave few details of the latest step in securing approval of the accord, promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump, but it was known that two additional documents were drawn up as part of its implementation.
"Another milestone on the path to launching the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund: Ukraine has completed all necessary procedures on schedule," Svyrydenko wrote in English on social media.
She said a note certifying completion of the process had been handed to interim U.S. Charge d'Affaires Julie Davis.
"These are equal agreements — forward-looking, aligned with Ukraine's national interests, and structured to ensure investment flows exclusively into Ukraine's recovery and growth," Svyrydenko wrote.
After weeks of tough negotiations following a shouting match between President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Trump in the Oval Office, Svyrydenko signed the minerals agreement in Washington and it was ratified last week by the Ukrainian parliament.
After that vote, Svyrydenko described the accord as "not merely a legal construct — it is the foundation of a new model of interaction with a key strategic partner."
The minerals agreement hands the United States preferential access to new Ukrainian minerals deals and sets up the investment fund, which could be used for the reconstruction of Ukraine for the first 10 years.
Ukraine also sees the deal as a way to unlock supplies of new U.S. weapons, especially additional Patriot air defence systems it sees as vital to protect against Russian air attacks.
Zelenskiy hailed the reworked draft of the agreement as a marked improvement over earlier versions that some critics in Ukraine had denounced as "colonial." The accord also acknowledges Ukraine's bid to join the European Union. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Hong Kong arrests 2 over suspected S$8.6m water scam
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Officers seized around 2,600 bottles of water in a warehouse along with documents and electronic devices. HONG KONG - Hong Kong police said on Aug 18 they have arrested two people over a suspected scam involving a water supplier that may have cheated the government in a contract worth nearly US$7 million (S$8.99 million). A company named Xin Ding Xin won a deal in June to provide 1.88 million bottles of water which would go into dispensers in some government offices – the first time such a contract went to a Chinese brand, according to local media. But police said the firm was found to have relied on false documents during the tender process, claiming to source its water from another mainland Chinese supplier when in fact they had no business ties. Officers arrested a 61-year-old man and a 57-year-old woman for fraud on Aug 17, seizing around 2,600 bottles of water in a warehouse along with documents and electronic devices. The arrests have prompted water-cooler discussions across the Chinese finance hub on how bureaucrats missed the telltale signs of a scam when awarding a 36-month contract worth HK$52.9 million (S$8.6 million). Payment for the delivered batches has not yet been settled, according to police. The Government Logistics Department said on Aug 18 that it terminated its bottled water supply contract with Xin Ding Xin, as well as 'three other contracts for supply of chemicals which were affiliated with XDX's owner'. Christopher Hui, Hong Kong's secretary for financial services and the treasury, set up a dedicated task force following an urgent meeting on Aug 17. Hui also ordered 'remedial actions' and invited the Audit Commission to review the tender exercise. 'The incident has brought up concerns among government colleagues and drawn extensive attention from the public,' he said in a press release. Aside from the two arrests on Aug 17, one mainland Chinese man remains at large, police said. AFP
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Congo and M23 rebels miss deadline to reach Doha peace deal
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: An M23 rebel walks on the outskirts of Matanda which is controlled by M23 rebels, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, March 22, 2025. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra/File Photo KINSHASA - The Congolese government and M23 rebels have missed Monday's deadline to reach a peace agreement in Doha, raising fears that tensions between the two parties might derail talks and reverse progress made to end the conflict. Fighting in eastern Congo has intensified this year, with the M23 group launching an offensive that allowed it to capture the two largest cities in the region. Under a mediation effort hosted by Qatar, Congo and the rebels signed a declaration of principles on July 19 in which they vowed to start negotiating a deal no later than August 8 with the goal of reaching it by August 18. The AFC-M23 Movement said in a statement on Sunday that only the full implementation of the declaration of principles, which includes the release of prisoners, would enable the next round of talks to proceed. A senior AFC source said on Monday that while rebels didn't expect significant progress from the talks, they would send a small delegation in the coming days due to Qatar's pressure as negotiators. "Our delegation will simply reinforce the need to implement these measures before we can engage in negotiations," the source said. A governmental source said authorities had received a draft agreement from the mediation team, and both parties are working on their comments before delegates return to Doha later this week. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Jobs, infrastructure and homes at the core of Singapore's resilience: Economists Business New online tools by SkillsFuture Singapore help companies plan and curate staff training Life Chinese EV brand Nio to be launched in Singapore in first quarter of 2026 Asia 2 firefighters die in building fire at Osaka's Dotonbori tourist district Singapore Driver hurt after car turns turtle in Upper Thomson accident Sport National tennis player Shaheed Alam serves up charity event to benefit migrant workers Life New Blackpink album scheduled for November, YG Entertainment confirms Singapore Jail for driver of 11-tonne garbage truck that ran over cyclist in Woodlands It added that the release of prisoners is a complicated prerequisite because it can be a subject of negotiations rather than a condition to continue talks. A Qatari official told Reuters on Sunday that while the timeline outlined in the declaration of principles had not been met, both parties expressed a willingness to continue negotiations. REUTERS
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Iran warns war with Israel could resume at any time
TEHRAN: A senior Iranian official warned on Monday (Aug 18) that war with Israel could erupt at any moment, describing the current lull after June's 12-day conflict as only a temporary halt. 'We must be prepared at every moment for confrontation; right now, we are not even in a ceasefire (agreement); we are in a cessation of hostilities,' said First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref. TEMPORARY PAUSE, NOT PEACE The June fighting saw Israel bombard Iranian nuclear and military sites, as well as residential areas, killing more than 1,000 people, including senior commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes that killed dozens in Israel. The United States announced a halt in fighting on Jun 24, two days after it joined the war by bombing Iranian nuclear facilities. But no formal ceasefire was agreed, only an undeclared pause in hostilities. On Sunday, Yahya Rahim Safavi, a military adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told Iranian media the country was 'preparing plans for the worst-case scenario.' 'We are not in a ceasefire now, we are in a war phase, it could break down at any time, there is no protocol, no regulations, no agreement between us and the Israelis, between us and the Americans,' he said in remarks carried by the Shargh daily. NUCLEAR TENSION RISING Western powers accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons through its atomic programme, a charge Tehran denies. The UN nuclear watchdog says Iran is the only non-nuclear-armed state enriching uranium to 60 per cent – far above the 3.67 per cent cap under a 2015 accord. That level is a short step from the 90 per cent enrichment needed for a bomb. Britain, France and Germany last week threatened to reimpose sanctions lifted under the 2015 deal. Iranian officials have warned of 'serious consequences' and hinted Tehran could quit the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
