Appetites have decreased: Bessent said when Ukraine and the USA can sign a minerals agreement.

Ukraine and the USA could conclude an agreement on minerals as early as this week, announced US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. He stated that negotiations are still ongoing, but the parties are very close to signing an agreement.Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government and the US Department of the Treasury have refused to comment on the issue of concluding the agreement. However, a Treasury representative noted that the technical negotiations have been very productive and the USA hopes to complete them soon.The USA has accepted less stringent conditions for the return of aid to Ukraine and is considering an economic agreement regarding the extraction of minerals. According to the agreement, the USA will have priority access to revenues from Ukrainian investment projects, particularly in the fields of minerals and infrastructure, as compensation for previously provided assistance. Ukraine aims to obtain better terms and refuses to recognize previous aid as a debt.Overall, the Ukrainian-American agreement on minerals is nearing signing. The parties believe that the negotiations are productive and could conclude as early as this week. The USA has reduced the amount of aid to Ukraine but offers priority access to revenues from future projects.