From 13h ago 12.21 EDT Trump approves first export of US military equipment to Ukraine since assuming presidency – report Donald Trump has approved the first export of American military equipment to Ukraine since assuming the presidency, The Times has reported, following the signing of the long-anticipated minerals deal between Washington and Kyiv. The Trump administration informed the US congress that it plans to export defence-related products to Ukraine through direct commercial sales (DCS) of $50m or more, the Kyiv Post said. The notification, issued on Tuesday, came just a day before the minerals agreement was formally signed.
A source close to the Ukrainian government told The Times: I think it’s significant as a first step of goodwill from Trump after we did what he wanted from us. Share Updated at 12.22 EDT 12h ago 13.35 EDT Summary Here’s a wrap-up of the day’s key events: Ukraine has signed a deal to share revenues from the future sale of minerals and rare earths with the US after months of fraught negotiations. The 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,” US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said in announcing it.
Donald Trump said the minerals deal may give US ‘much more’ than Washington spent on Ukraine aid. Speaking over the phone, the US president said: “We made a deal where we get much more in theory than the $350bn.” Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said in a social media update that he spoke with the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas about the Ukraine-EU agenda and the minerals deal signed last night. He said the agreement “marks an important milestone in Ukraine–US strategic partnership aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s economy and security.” Ukrainian and Russian civil society leaders have called for the unconditional release of thousands of Ukrainian civilians being held in Russian captivity, pushing for world leaders to make it a central part of any peace deal.
Oleksandra Matviichuk, head of the Kyiv-based Centre for Civil Liberties, which won the 2022 Nobel peace prize, said most of the discussion on ending the conflict, led by Donald Trump’s administration, focused solely on territories and potential security guarantees. Ukrainian emergency services reported that a Russian drone attack on the Black Sea port city of Odesa killed two people and injured 15 others. AP reported local authorities saying the barrage struck apartment buildings, private homes, a supermarket and a school.
Responding to the Odesa attack, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated his call to put more pressure on Russia to stop continuing attacks on Ukraine. Writing on Telegram, he said: “There were also our proposals – at the very least, to refrain from striking civilian infrastructure and to establish lasting silence in the sky, at sea, and on land. Russia has responded to all this with new shelling and new assaults,” he said.
Donald Trump has approved the first export of American military equipment to Ukraine since assuming the presidency, The Times has reported, following the signing of the long-anticipated minerals deal between Washington and Kyiv. The Trump administration informed the US Congress that it plans to export defence-related products to Ukraine through direct commercial sales (DCS) of $50m or more, the Kyiv Post said. Share 12h ago 13.28 EDT There is cautious optimism in Kyiv over the terms of the long-discussed US-Ukraine minerals deal, signed on Wednesday, which appear to be more advantageous for Ukraine than most had expected.
Many details are still to be finalised and will be written into a yet-to-be-signed further technical agreement, suggesting that the long saga over the deal may not be quite over. But Ukrainian analysts have noted that Kyiv has apparently been able to extract some major concessions, despite Donald Trump’s repeated claim that Ukraine “has no cards” to play. “Ukraine held the line.
Despite enormous pressure, every overreaching demand from the other side was dropped. The final deal looks fair,” Tymofiy Mylovanov, president of the Kyiv School of Economics, wrote on X. For the full story, click here: Cautious optimism in Ukraine over minerals deal with Trump Read more Share 12h ago 13.15 EDT Here are some details released by the White House on the latest mineral deal struck between the US and Ukraine.
The White House, which described the deal as a “first-of-its-kind partnership for the reconstruction and long-term economic success of Ukraine,” said that: The deal establishes a fund that will receive 50% of royalties, license fees and other similar payments from natural resource projects in Ukraine The natural resource projects will include minerals, hydrocarbons and related infrastructure development If the US decides to acquire these resources for itself, it will be given “first choice to either acquire them or designate the purchaser of our choice” The money will be invested in new projects in Ukraine which will “generate long-term returns for both the American and Ukrainian peoples” The deal will be controlled by a company with equal representation of three Ukrainian and three American board members According to the White House readout, “No state, company, or person who financed or supplied the Russian war machine will be allowed to benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine, including participation in projects supported by fund resources.” View image in fullscreen US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (L) and Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko (R) sign a minerals deal in Washington DC, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Photograph: Facebook/@yulia.svyrydenko/AFP/Getty Images Share 13h ago 12.55 EDT US secretary of state Marco Rubio hailed France for rallying support for a Ukraine peace deal but said that European allies need to step up with real resources and political will to help the war, Reuters reports, citing the US state department. In a statement on Thursday following Rubio’s phone call with his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barro, the US state department said: “Secretary Rubio commended France’s leadership in rallying European and Ukrainian support for a sustainable deal but made clear that words are not enough.” Share 13h ago 12.33 EDT President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday hailed a minerals deal with the US as a truly equal and fair agreement, and the first result of his Vatican meeting with US president Donald Trump on the sidelines of the funeral of Pope Francis.
Zelenskiy said the minerals deal opens the way for the modernisation of industries in Ukraine. Zelenskyy has been under pressure to show results from courting Trump, who has shifted US policy towards supporting Russia’s account of the war in Ukraine and has frequently criticised the Ukrainian leader. Share 13h ago 12.21 EDT Trump approves first export of US military equipment to Ukraine since assuming presidency – report Donald Trump has approved the first export of American military equipment to Ukraine since assuming the presidency, The Times has reported, following the signing of the long-anticipated minerals deal between Washington and Kyiv.
The Trump administration informed the US congress that it plans to export defence-related products to Ukraine through direct commercial sales (DCS) of $50m or more, the Kyiv Post said. The notification, issued on Tuesday, came just a day before the minerals agreement was formally signed. A source close to the Ukrainian government told The Times: I think it’s significant as a first step of goodwill from Trump after we did what he wanted from us.
Share Updated at 12.22 EDT 14h ago 11.27 EDT Moscow on Thursday accused Kyiv of attacking a busy market in Russian-controlled southern Ukraine in a drone strike it said had killed at least seven civilians and wounded more than 20, while Kyiv said the attack had killed only military personnel. Reuters could not verify either side’s assertions. Vladimir Saldo, the region’s Russian-installed governor, said the drones had struck a market in the town of Oleshky at about 9.30am local time on what was a public holiday.
He and two social media users released videos purporting to show some of the incident. Reuters confirmed the location as Oleshky, but could not independently verify when they were filmed. One of the videos showed an explosion going off beside one in a group of low-slung buildings.
Another video shows at least two bodies lying on the ground beside the structure; it was not possible to tell who they were. Vladyslav Voloshyn, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military, said Kyiv had targeted Russian troops in part of Kherson region controlled by Moscow and that only military personnel, and not civilians, had been killed. Russia’s foreign ministry called on the international community to condemn what it said was an act of terrorism.
Share 15h ago 10.45 EDT Ukraine’s parliament is expected to ratify the US-Ukraine minerals deal, which was signed on Wednesday, within a week, senior Trump administration officials told reporters on Thursday. They added that the Ukraine deal could be a model for other international agreements going forward, Reuters reported. The general partnership overseeing the deal is domiciled in Delaware, they said.
Share 15h ago 10.25 EDT The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said the US-Ukraine minerals deal was the “first of its kind, economic partnership for the reconstruction and long-term economic success of Ukraine”. 0:57 White House lauds 'historic' US-Ukraine minerals deal – video Share
