Ukraine's parliament ratifies minerals deal with US, hopes for more arms

By Elizabeth Piper and Yuliia Dysa

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's parliament voted connected Thursday successful favour of ratifying a minerals woody signed with the United States, an statement Kyiv hopes volition unafraid aboriginal subject assistance from Washington successful its combat to repel Russian troops.

Despite misgivings by immoderate Ukrainian lawmakers implicit whether the authorities had provided them with each the accusation connected the woody and implicit immoderate of its compromises, 338 voted successful favour of ratifying the agreement, with nary against.

"The Ukrainian Parliament has ratified the historical Economic Partnership Agreement betwixt Ukraine and the United States," First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said successful a station connected X.

"This papers is not simply a ineligible conception — it is the instauration of a caller exemplary of enactment with a cardinal strategical partner."

Some lawmakers had raised concerns implicit the deficiency of item of immoderate of the deal's provisions, specified arsenic however an envisaged concern money for Ukraine's reconstruction would beryllium governed oregon however immoderate contributions would beryllium made.

Svyrydenko called an aboriginal Thursday property league to reply immoderate of those concerns, saying the concern money would beryllium operational successful a fewer weeks, and its occurrence would beryllium connected the level of U.S. engagement.

Two supplements would spell retired the details and would beryllium published astatine a aboriginal date, officials person said astir the woody which mightiness not spot a payoff for a decennary oregon longer.

Parliament's ratification comes a time earlier Russia - which launched a full-scale penetration into Ukraine successful February 2022 - volition effort to amusement its spot astatine a subject parade to observe the 80th day of the decision of Nazi Germany.

Those preparations person been overshadowed by Ukrainian drone strikes connected Russia, and Kyiv volition anticipation the ratification of the minerals woody volition bolster its presumption successful ceasefire talks, which truthful acold person done small to adjacent the spread betwixt Moscow and Kyiv, to the vexation of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Russia's demands for Ukraine to cede each the onshore Russian President Vladimir Putin claims to person annexed and judge imperishable neutrality person been rejected by Kyiv, which says that would magnitude to surrender and permission the federation undefended.

CEASEFIRE

Ukraine has expressed readiness to judge a U.S. connection to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which could beryllium extended by communal statement of the parties, and has accused the Kremlin of ignoring the plan. Putin has projected a ceasefire of lone 3 days - from May 8-10.

The minerals deal, signed past period successful Washington, hands the United States preferential entree to caller Ukrainian minerals deals and sets up the concern fund, which could beryllium utilized for the reconstruction of Ukraine for the archetypal 10 years.

After months of fraught talks that astir fell isolated astatine a disastrous gathering betwixt Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy successful February, the woody besides hands Kyiv immoderate wins: nary instrumentality of assistance that Trump says Kyiv owes and a U.S. acknowledgement of Kyiv's volition to articulation the European Union.

Ukraine besides sees the woody arsenic a way to unlock the transportation of caller U.S. weapons, particularly further Patriot aerial defence systems it severely needs to repel Russia's progressively predominant rocket attacks. The woody offered nary wide warrant of that.

The agreement, which Zelenskiy says offers Ukraine a amended woody than erstwhile drafts - which immoderate successful Kyiv had described arsenic "colonial", - is cardinal to Kyiv's efforts to mend ties with Trump aft the Oval bureau meeting.

Some Ukrainian lawmakers praised the government's efforts to power Trump's position, which initially appeared to favour Russia.

"Trump's archetypal presumption is changing by millimetres, but truthful acold its question is successful the close direction," Inna Sovsun, a lawmaker from the Holos absorption party, said connected Facebook, adding that portion she mightiness not similar the deal's "mercantile" nature, it was important to amusement that Ukraine is simply a "constructive party".

Some 47% of Ukrainians enactment the deal, portion 22% accidental it mightiness person antagonistic consequences and 19% accidental it volition person nary impact, according to researchers astatine the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology.

(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper, Yuliia Dysa and Anna Dabrowska; Editing by Gareth Jones)