After months of tense negotiations, the US and Ukraine signed a deal that will 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 officials said, the deal signed on Wednesday is far more beneficial to Ukraine than previous versions, which they said reduced Kyiv to a junior partner and gave Washington unprecedented rights to the country’s resources.

The deal now needs to be ratified by the Ukrainian parliament. It would establish a reconstruction fund for Ukraine that the country hopes will be a vehicle to ensure future American military assistance. A previous agreement was nearly signed before being derailed in a tense Oval Office meeting involving US President Donald Trump, US Vice President J D Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.