Senior Russian official Dmitry Medvedev criticized a new U.S.-Ukraine minerals agreement, claiming it forces Kyiv to pay for future U.S. military aid with natural resources. The deal, signed in Washington, grants the U.S. preferential access to Ukraine’s mineral sector and includes funding for post-war reconstruction. According to the Kyiv Post, the Trump administration also informed Congress of its plan to approve defense-related exports to Ukraine valued at over $50 million, marking the first such move since Trump returned to the White House. Reuters has not independently confirmed this.
Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council and former president, said on Telegram that Ukraine is now "paying with the national wealth of a disappearing country" for U.S. support. Once viewed as a liberal reformer, Medvedev has become one of the most vocal anti-Western figures since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The U.S.-Ukraine minerals pact comes amid Washington’s growing frustration over stalled peace talks. While Russia claims readiness for direct negotiations, Moscow says a lasting settlement will take time. Ukraine has called for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, a proposal Russian President Vladimir Putin has supported in principle. He has declared a limited ceasefire from May 8-10 during commemorations of World War II victory.
The Kremlin, which boasts vast mineral reserves of its own, has yet to respond to the deal but previously suggested possible U.S.-Russia cooperation in the Arctic. Former Kremlin adviser Sergei Markov warned that the agreement could complicate peace prospects, asserting that Trump has created a framework to justify extended U.S. involvement by positioning America as a stakeholder in Ukraine’s future.
This development underscores the growing geopolitical stakes surrounding Ukraine’s mineral wealth and U.S. strategic interests.