Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky gives a press conference on the sideline of a EU summit in Brussels, on October 17, 2024. (Photo by JOHN THYS / AFP) President Volodymyr Zelensky has officially signed the minerals deal with the US into law. Zelensky’s signature is the final step needed for it to take effect, following its ratification by the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, on Thursday, May 8. According to the Rada’s site, the bill, numbered 0309, was submitted to Zelensky on Saturday, May 10, and returned with his signature on Monday, May 12. After Zelensky’s signature, the US and Ukraine will sign two other agreements outlining the specifics of the minerals deal, including the technical parameters required to set up the joint investment fund established via the signed document. Neither document will require approval from the Rada, according to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal at the time. Advertisement A total of 338 lawmakers voted in favor during the polls on Thursday with no opposition. Presidential Office Head Andriy Yermak called it a “historic decision” at the time. Prior to ratification, the agreement was reviewed and approved by the Rada’s Foreign Affairs Committee, after the Cabinet of Ministers submitted the necessary documents, including an explanatory note, the agreement text and registration. The first deputy head of the Verkhovna Rada’s Committee on Finance, Tax, and Customs Policy, Yaroslav Zheleznyak, said that the committee’s decision included a key safeguard stipulating that “Any additional arrangements on establishing the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund shall not contradict this agreement.” Source: www.kyivpost.com
Zelensky Signs Minerals Deal Into Law
