Latest news with #UnitedStates-Ukraine
UPI
17-07-2025
- Politics
- UPI
At least 3 killed, 27 injured in airstrike on Ukrainian shopping mall
The frontline town of Dobropillia suffered its second deadly airstrike by Russian forces in four months after a 1.1-ton guided bomb targeted shoppers in a mall and a market Wednesday afternoon. In March, 11 people were killed and more than 30 injured after two ballistic missiles slammed into the town. File photo by Maria Senovilla/EPA-EFE July 17 (UPI) -- A Russian airstrike on a shopping center and market in the frontline eastern Ukrainian province of Donetsk killed at least three people and injured 27, authorities said. Donetsk Gov. Vadym Filashkin said in a social media update that survivors of Wednesday evening's attack on downtown Dobropillia were receiving medical treatment, with some medevaced to hospitals in other regions of the country. More than 300 apartments and 54 shops, as well as several cars, were damaged in the blast and resulting fires from a 1,100-pound high-explosive FAB-500 glide-bomb that struck at 5:20 p.m. local time. "The Russians have again deliberately targeted an area where there are lots of people -- a shopping center in the middle of town, Filashkin said. "The rubble is being cleared. We are helping those whose homes have been damaged. Power engineers are restoring the electricity supply," he added. In a post on X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack as a "vile" act designed to terrorize civilians. "This is horrendous, dumb Russian terror. Simply an attempt to kill as many as possible. Russia is all about vile strikes like this," Zelensky wrote. The town of 26,000, which is close to the frontline in the part-Russian-controlled province, has been targeted frequently since the start of the war. In early March, 11 people were killed and more than 30 injured when two ballistic missiles struck apartment buildings and a shopping center. Wednesday's attack came as U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine, Ret. Gen. Keith Kellogg, was in Ukraine for talks with Zelensky on the United States-Ukraine partnership, which has strengthened markedly in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale drone assault targeting western regions of Russia overnight, including Moscow, killing one person and injuring 11, four of them children. Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov told the state-run Tass news agency that a woman was killed in a village close to the border with Ukraine after an explosive device was dropped on a single-family home by a Ukrainian drone. Three children were injured by drone fragments in Voronezh, a city of 1 million in southwestern Russia, and a fourth child was hurt in Kaluga province, southwest of Moscow. It was unclear how many drones were involved, but the Russian Defense Ministry claimed air defenses shot down 122 drones, of which three were downed as they closed on Moscow in the early hours of Thursday, according to Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. The attacks also caused authorities to temporarily ground flights at Saint Petersburg's Pulkovo International Airport. On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly warned Ukraine not to attack Moscow, apparently seeking to clarify his position after the Financial Times and Washington Post ran stories saying the president had secretly given Kyiv the green light to target the Russian capital. In a July 4 call with Zelensky, Trump reportedly asked if Ukraine could strike Moscow and Saint Petersburg if the United States supplied the requisite long-range weapons to "make them feel the pain" and force Russia to return to the negotiating table. The White House dismissed the reports as "clickbait." "President Trump was merely asking a question, not encouraging further killing. He's working tirelessly to stop the killing and end this war," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Newsweek in a statement.
Iraqi News
01-05-2025
- Business
- Iraqi News
U.S. and Ukraine sign long-awaited minerals deal
INA- sources The White House announced Wednesday night that it had signed an economic partnership with Ukraine that includes an agreement on the ownership and extraction of natural resources from the war-torn nation. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the agreement, established as the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, will allow the United States to "invest alongside Ukraine" to unlock its growth assets and ultimately accelerate its economic recovery. 'As the President has said, the United States is committed to helping facilitate the end of this cruel and senseless war. This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump Administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term," Bessent said in a statement. "President Trump envisioned this partnership between the American people and the Ukrainian people to show both sides' commitment to lasting peace and prosperity in Ukraine. "And to be clear, no state or person who financed or supplied the Russian war machine will be allowed to benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine," he added. The Russian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the deal. Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukraine's economy minister, provided more details about the minerals deal outlined in the agreement, first saying on X that "it is the Ukrainian state that determines what and where to extract" and that "subsoil remains under Ukrainian ownership." Ukraine and the United States will jointly manage and maintain co-ownership of the investment fund, with neither side holding a dominant vote, Svyrydenko said. It will be financed by new Ukrainian oil, gas and critical mineral licenses, with 50% of all revenue from the licenses going toward the fund. "The fund will then invest in extraction projects for critical materials, oil, and gas — as well as in related infrastructure and processing. Specific investment projects will be selected jointly by Ukraine and the US. Importantly, the Fund may invest exclusively in Ukraine," she said on X. Svyrydenko indicated in her post that the United States will also contribute to the fund, through it is unclear exactly how much. She added that contributions to the fund will not be taxed in either Ukraine or the United States to ensure 'maximum effectiveness of the investment process." Trump said earlier Wednesday that the agreement would serve as an avenue for the United States to recoup funds it has provided to Ukraine throughout its war with Russia, a figure the State Department has placed at $66.5 billion in terms of military assistance. "I didn't want to make a complicated deal," Trump said at a Cabinet meeting Wednesday. "Rare earth is called rare for a reason, and they have a lot, and we made a deal where our money is secure, where we can start digging and doing what we have to do." It is unclear how much of the money will go toward repaying the United States. Svyrydenko said in her post that the agreement "includes no provisions regarding any Ukrainian debt obligations to the United States." The agreement was signed days after Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Rome on the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral. Trump suggested the pair's relationship had improved since their Oval Office clash in February, characterizing the meeting as 'beautiful' and expressing confidence that Zelenskyy 'wants to make a deal" to end the war. Trump's ire was instead directed at Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom Trump criticized for carrying out widespread strikes on Kyiv despite U.S. officials' ongoing effort to secure a plan to end the war, which began in February 2022. Putin met with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff on Friday for roughly three hours in Moscow, with a Putin aide later describing their discussion as "productive." After the meeting, Trump urged Ukraine and Russia to hold "very high-level" ceasefire talks, adding that the two sides are "very close to a deal" to end the war. The two countries have not held direct talks since the early days of Russia's invasion. Ukraine and the United States will jointly manage and maintain co-ownership of the investment fund, with neither side holding a dominant vote, Svyrydenko said. It will be financed by new Ukrainian oil, gas and critical mineral licenses, with 50% of all revenue from the licenses going toward the fund. "The fund will then invest in extraction projects for critical materials, oil, and gas — as well as in related infrastructure and processing. Specific investment projects will be selected jointly by Ukraine and the US. Importantly, the Fund may invest exclusively in Ukraine," she said on X. Svyrydenko indicated in her post that the United States will also contribute to the fund, through it is unclear exactly how much. She added that contributions to the fund will not be taxed in either Ukraine or the United States to ensure 'maximum effectiveness of the investment process." Trump said earlier Wednesday that the agreement would serve as an avenue for the United States to recoup funds it has provided to Ukraine throughout its war with Russia, a figure the State Department has placed at $66.5 billion in terms of military assistance. "I didn't want to make a complicated deal," Trump said at a Cabinet meeting Wednesday. "Rare earth is called rare for a reason, and they have a lot, and we made a deal where our money is secure, where we can start digging and doing what we have to do." It is unclear how much of the money will go toward repaying the United States. Svyrydenko said in her post that the agreement "includes no provisions regarding any Ukrainian debt obligations to the United States." The agreement was signed days after Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Rome on the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral. Trump suggested the pair's relationship had improved since their Oval Office clash in February, characterizing the meeting as 'beautiful' and expressing confidence that Zelenskyy 'wants to make a deal" to end the war. Trump's ire was instead directed at Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom Trump criticized for carrying out widespread strikes on Kyiv despite U.S. officials' ongoing effort to secure a plan to end the war, which began in February 2022. Putin met with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff on Friday for roughly three hours in Moscow, with a Putin aide later describing their discussion as "productive." After the meeting, Trump urged Ukraine and Russia to hold "very high-level" ceasefire talks, adding that the two sides are "very close to a deal" to end the war. The two countries have not held direct talks since the early days of Russia's invasion.
Times of Oman
01-05-2025
- Business
- Times of Oman
US, Ukraine sign rare earth minerals deal
Washington, DC: The United States and Ukraine have signed an "economic partnership agreement," giving Washington access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals in return for creating an investment fund in the country, CNN reported. Since President Donald Trump assumed office in January, the US and Ukraine have been trying to sign an agreement on natural resources. The deal between the two nations comes after weeks of intense negotiations that at times became bitter and temporarily derailed US aid to Ukraine. On Wednesday, the US Treasury Department said that both nations signed the agreement. In a statement, the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, "As the President has said, the United States is committed to helping facilitate the end of this cruel and senseless war." He stated, "This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump Administration is committed to a peace process centred on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term," CNN reported. He noted, "And to be clear, no state or person who financed or supplied the Russian war machine will be allowed to benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine." Ukraine's Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko was in the US to sign the agreement on behalf of the Ukrainian government. In a post on X, Svyrydenko stated, "On behalf of the Government of Ukraine, I signed the Agreement on the Establishment of a United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund. Together with the United States, we are creating the Fund that will attract global investment into our country." In the post, she stated, "It is the Ukrainian state that determines what and where to extract. Subsoil remains under Ukrainian ownership -- this is clearly established in the Agreement." The two nations signed the deal just hours after a last-minute disagreement over which documents to sign Wednesday threatened to derail the agreement. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was expected to sign the agreement during his visit to the US in February. However, the agreement was not signed after his visit was cut short following the contentious Oval Office meeting. The key sticking point of the negotiations included the question of security guarantees and whether the US would provide them as part of the agreement. Initially, Trump refused, saying he wanted Ukraine to sign the deal first and talk about security guarantees later, CNN reported. At that time, Zelenskyy called the draft agreement as asking him to "sell" his nation. Since then, Ukrainian officials indicated they believed that US investment and the presence of US firms in Ukraine will make the US more interested in security of Ukraine. Shortly after his visit, Trump ordered the suspension of US aid to Ukraine. The assistance has now been restored. However, his decision became a major wake-up call for Ukraine's European allies, who have vowed to step up their help to Ukraine. Trump has largely termed the agreement as Ukraine "paying back" for the aid which has been provided by the US to Ukraine since Russia started its military action in Ukraine in 2022. The details of the agreement have not been disclosed publicly. However, Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Sunday that the agreement "will not include assistance provided before its signing," CNN reported. Speaking on Wednesday, he called the deal a "strategic agreement on the establishment of an investment partnership fund." He further said, "It is truly an equal and beneficial international agreement on joint investments in the development and recovery of Ukraine between the US and Ukrainian governments." Shmyhal said that under the deal, the US and Ukraine will create a joint investment fund in Ukraine with an equal contributions from both and equal distribution of management shares between them. He said, "The American side may also count new, I emphasize new, military aid to Ukraine as a contribution to this fund."
Sky News AU
01-05-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
Ukraine signs deal to give US access to rare minerals, as Donald Trump admin says it is 'committed to a peace process': Bessent
Ukraine has signed a deal with the United States, giving the U.S. access to Ukraine's rare minerals as it continues to work with the Trump administration in an effort to end its three-year war with Russia. Ukrainian Economy Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko flew to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to help finalize the deal. "On behalf of the Government of Ukraine, I signed the Agreement on the Establishment of a United States–Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund. Together with the United States, we are creating the Fund that will attract global investment into our country," she wrote on X. Upon taking office, President Donald Trump said he wanted Ukraine's rare earth materials as a condition for continued U.S. support in the war. He described it as reimbursement for the billions of dollars of U.S. military assistance given to Ukraine. Discussions about a possible deal stalled following a combative meeting between Trump administration officials and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office. The agreement will establish the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund to help accelerate Ukraine's economic recovery, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. "This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump Administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term" Bessent said in a statement. "President Trump envisioned this partnership between the American people and the Ukrainian people to show both sides' commitment to lasting peace and prosperity in Ukraine. And to be clear, no state or person who financed or supplied the Russian war machine will be allowed to benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine." The U.S. is seeking access to more than 20 raw materials deemed strategically critical to its interests, including some non-minerals such as oil and natural gas. Among them are Ukraine's deposits of titanium, which is used for making aircraft wings and other aerospace manufacturing, and uranium, which is used for nuclear power, medical equipment and weapons. Ukraine also has lithium, graphite and manganese, which are used in electric vehicle batteries. The deal will establish an equal partnership between the two countries and last for 10 years. Financial contributions to a joint fund would be made in cash, and only new U.S. military aid would count toward the American share. Neither party will have a majority vote, reflecting an equal partnership between Ukraine and the United States, Svyrydenko said. The fund is supported by the U.S. government through the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. Unlike an earlier draft of the agreement, the deal would not conflict with Ukraine's path toward European Union membership — a key provision for Kyiv. Under the terms of the deal, the Ukrainian government will determine where and what minerals will be extracted, Svyrydenko said. The Associated Press contributed to this report Originally published as Ukraine signs major deal to give US access to rare minerals, as Donald Trump admin says it is 'committed to a peace process': Bessent
Indian Express
30-04-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
US, Ukraine sign minerals deal after intense negotiation
The United States has announced that it has signed an 'economic partnership agreement' with Ukraine that will allow Washington access to Kyiv's rare earth minerals in exchange for a joint fund to invest in Ukraine's reconstruction. Washington and Kyiv have been engaged in intense negotiations for a couple of months to reach an agreement to provide the United States with access to Ukraine's natural resources. A US Treasury Department press release states that the two countries have mutually agreed to form a 'Reconstruction Investment Fund'. 'In recognition of the significant financial and material support that the people of the United States have provided to the defense of Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion, this economic partnership positions our two countries to…accelerate Ukraine's economic recovery,' the US Treasury Department said. Thanks to @POTUS @realDonaldTrump 's tireless efforts to secure a lasting peace, I am glad to announce the signing of today's historic economic partnership agreement between the United States and Ukraine establishing the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund to help… — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) April 30, 2025 A draft of the minerals agreement states that both the US and Ukraine would collaborate to ensure that 'mutual assets, talents, and capabilities' can accelerate Kyiv's recovery. The draft states that the US does get preferential access to Ukraine's natural resources but Washington doesn't get Kyiv's mineral wealth or any gas infrastructure. Instead, the deal talks about creating a joint US-Ukraine investment fund for reconstruction which would receive 50% of profits and royalties accruing to the Ukrainian state from new natural resources permits, Reuters reported. The initial agreement, due to be signed in February, fell apart after heated exchange between Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump during their meeting at the Oval Office in White House. However, the deal comes at a critical juncture in the war as Trump has increasingly grown frustrated with Russian and Ukrainian leaders for dragging the war and not finalising a ceasefire agreement. Last week, Trump had met Zelenskyy on the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral.
