Ukraine-US minerals deal covers all mineral resources across Ukraine – Economy Ministry

According to Ukrinform, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Economy and Trade Representative, Taras Kachka, said this on Ukrainian television in response to a journalist’s question about whether U.S. companies might operate in temporarily occupied territories.

“This is not within the scope of the agreement. The preamble clearly affirms Ukraine’s territorial integrity and its full sovereignty over its natural resources, which remain entirely under its control. We are not transferring anything to anyone. There is no distinction between occupied and non-occupied territory. The agreement covers all mineral resources across Ukraine. While this issue was discussed at certain stages, it was ultimately resolved because we have clear confirmation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and that’s the basis we proceed from,” Kachka said.

He stressed that Ukraine’s participant in the Fund would be the Public-Private Partnership Agency, which operates under the Ministry of Economy. According to Kachka, the agency enjoys trust from international partners due to its cooperation with USAID and the World Bank. It plays a key role in supporting projects, preparing them for investment, and gathering additional information.

“The agency is responsible for analyzing investment projects, while the Fund — which, I should note, will not engage in resource extraction itself — will invest in businesses involved in the extraction of mineral resources. Therefore, the agency is clearly the most appropriate institution based on its statutory authority,” he added.

On May 1, Ukraine and the United States signed an agreement to establish a Reconstruction Investment Fund. The Cabinet of Ministers submitted a bill to the Verkhovna Rada for ratification of the agreement, and the government asked the parliament to ratify the document by May 8.