**Ukraine to Start Working on Rare Earth Agreement with US**
On February 24, Ukraine will start working on an agreement with the United States to share its natural resources. This was announced by Ruslan Stefanchuk, the speaker of Ukraine’s parliament.
The US wants to invest in a joint fund that would give them 50% interest in Ukraine’s natural resources. This is part of a deal to show appreciation for the US support for Ukraine.
**Ukraine Wants Security Guarantees**
The Ukrainian government will assemble an expert team to finalize the agreement on Monday, which also marks the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Stefanchuk said that Ukraine wants “specific security guarantees” and “constructive discussions” before signing the deal.
President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously refused to sign the document because it did not include any security guarantees.
**US Officials Say Agreement is Close**
However, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said on February 21 that the deal would be finalized this week. Trump also claimed that Kyiv had “essentially agreed” to a $500 billion resource deal.
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