Ukraine and the United States may sign a memorandum of intent as early as Thursday as part of ongoing negotiations over a minerals agreement, both Trump and Zelensky said.
Zelensky explained the idea to sign the memorandum ahead of a full agreement—which would require ratification by Ukraine’s parliament—came from the U.S. side. President Trump also announced on Thursday that they had reached an agreement, with an estimated date of April 24 for it to be finalized.
President Trump has been advocating for a deal that would give the U.S. privileged access to Ukraine’s critical minerals and natural resources, framing it as a form of repayment for military assistance provided by Washington during Joe Biden’s tenure.
A Ukrainian delegation traveled to Washington late last week after the Trump administration proposed a more expansive version of the deal. While a framework had previously been reached, it was never officially signed.
“This is a memorandum of intent. And we have positive, constructive intentions,” Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv on Thursday.
Ukraine’s economy minister said the two sides made substantial progress during talks and that the memorandum marks the first formal step in the process.
