Hamza Adam 
The United States and Ukraine unveiled a new reconstruction and investment fund that gives the U.S. access to Ukraine’s rare earth mineral reserves, formalizing a months-long economic agreement between the Trump White House and Ukraine, according to the New York Times.
The deal announced Wednesday ends tense negotiations over whether the United States will continue to back Ukraine with economic and military support as peace negotiations for the Russia-Ukraine conflict continue, the Times reported. It is aimed at satisfying President Donald Trump’s claims that the U.S. has handed Kyiv “a blank check,” according to the report, while providing the war-torn country with a security arrangement.
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“This 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,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement obtained by the Times. “President Trump envisioned this partnership between the American people and the Ukrainian people to show both sides’ commitment to lasting peace and prosperity in Ukraine.”
“And to be clear, no state or person who financed or supplied the Russian war machine will be allowed to benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine,” he added.