After months of tense negotiations, the U.S. and Ukraine signed a deal that is expected to give Washington access to the country’s critical minerals and other natural resources, an agreement Kyiv hopes will secure long-term support for its defense against Russia.

Ukrainian executive champions the U.S. minerals deal as a way to open Kyiv to private investment and expand energy security that has been a chief target in Russia's war.

After months of fraught negotiations, and a near total rupture of US support, Kyiv and Washington have finally signed a deal that gives US companies privileged access to Ukraine’s valuable mineral resources.