Ukraine’s Parliament will vote on ratifying US minerals deal on May 8, lawmaker says

KYIV – Ukraine’s Parliament will hold a vote on May 8 to ratify a minerals deal signed with the United States earlier this week, a lawmaker said on May 2, while two other documents pertaining to the agreement will not need to be ratified.

Ukraine and the US

signed a deal on April 30

that will give the US preferential access to new investments in the extraction of Ukraine’s natural resources, and fund investment in its reconstruction.

The accord, heavily promoted by US President Donald Trump, is central to Kyiv’s efforts to mend ties with the White House, its main military backer in its war against Russian invasion. The ties had frayed after Mr Trump took office in January.

Lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak published the date of the upcoming ratification vote on the Telegram messaging app.

He also cited Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal as telling Parliament on May 2 that two of the documents related to the deal covered its implementation and would not need to be ratified by lawmakers.

Ukraine’s Cabinet registered a Bill to ratify the minerals deal with the US late on May 1, according to the parliamentary database.

Ukraine aims to ratify it within the next few weeks, Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on May 1.

“We want to ratify it as soon as possible. So we plan to do it within the coming weeks,” she told an online briefing. REUTERS