ISTANBUL

Ukraine’s foreign minister said Tuesday that Kyiv has already developed its vision for the text of a critical minerals deal proposed by the US.

“We have already developed our position, as well as our vision regarding the text of the future agreement,” Andrii Sybiha said in a commentary Ukraine’s state news agency Ukrinform.

Sybiha said the Ukrainian side will finalize the composition of its negotiating team which will soon leave for Washington for discussions on the draft of the agreement.

He said the deal should not only be mutually beneficial but also meet the interests of both parties and should not contradict Ukraine’s European integration process.

"This is one of the principled positions for the Ukrainian side," Sybiha noted, adding that a leading law firm will be selected to support the negotiation process.

Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced Monday that Kyiv will send a delegation to Washington this week to “move forward with negotiations on a strategic agreement with the United States regarding critical natural resources.”

“This dialogue reflects the strategic interests of both nations and our shared commitment to building a strong, transparent partnership,” Svyrydenko said on X, indicating that the delegation will include representatives from the country’s economy, foreign, justice and finance ministries.

On March 28, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Kyiv received a new draft text of the deal on mineral resources proposed by the US, though noting that it significantly differed from the framework proposed earlier.

A few days later, Sybiha said that Kyiv and Washington had already begun consultations on the text of the agreement, adding that a meeting on the issue had already taken place, without providing further details.

The deal was supposed to be signed when Zelenskyy visited the White House on Feb. 28, but the meeting fell apart after a highly rare feud developed, with US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance berating the Ukrainian leader and accusing him of being ungrateful for years of American support.