US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is visiting Kiev on Wednesday to discuss a critical minerals deal. The visit comes as Ukraine tries to win the support of US President Donald Trump at a delicate diplomatic moment in its war with Russia.
Mr. Bessent, the first cabinet-level official under President Trump to visit Ukraine, met with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Hoping to keep U.S. President Donald Trump interested in continuing support for his country and ending the war, Mr. Zelenskiy recently proposed a deal under which the United States would invest in Ukraine's mineral resources.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said such an agreement could serve as a "security shield" for Ukraine after the war.
A few hours before the arrival of the senior American official, Kiev woke up to the sound of a Russian ballistic missile attack, which caused the death of one person.
President Trump, who says he will end the bloodshed soon, has not said whether he plans to continue vital military aid to Kiev. However, Mr Trump has demanded $500 billion in rare earth minerals from Ukraine and added that Washington's support must be "guaranteed."
A US source familiar with the matter said Mr Bessent would use the visit to discuss the strategic minerals deal. The deal would also include energy resources and facilities, as well as state-owned enterprises.
His claims may refer in part to an idea to use Ukraine's vast underground storage facilities to store American natural gas for Europe, something Mr. Zelenskiy has said is being discussed between Kiev and the White House.
In an interview with Reuters last week, Mr. Zelenskiy outlined the outlines of a potential deal, unveiling a map showing the country's vast mineral deposits. He said he was not "giving them away" but offering a mutually beneficial partnership for their development.
The visit is a tangible sign of the US's real interest in Ukraine, which is being welcomed by Kiev, which is watching with concern and nervousness how President Trump's team has interacted with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On Tuesday, Russia released a detained American citizen, following a visit to Moscow by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, the first senior US official to visit Russia since before the Russian attack on Ukraine in February 2022./ VOA (A2 Televizion)
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