U.S. President Donald Trump announced on July 8 that Washington now holds “a small share” of Ukrainian territory through a mineral resource agreement with Kyiv, he stated during a meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at a NATO summit in Turkey.
The Zelensky administration has recently instructed the informal suspension of the U.S.-Ukraine mineral development agreement. This decision follows an apparent shift in priorities within Kyiv’s leadership after initial diplomatic objectives with Trump were no longer prioritized.
On September 15, 2025, delegations from both countries visited potential deposits in the Kirovohrad region, including the Birzulovsky Mining and Processing plant and the Likarevskoye deposit where titanium ore is mined. The visit occurred despite the suspension of the agreement.
