After ongoing deliberations and uncertainty, the United States and Ukraine signed a deal on Wednesday, April 30, allowing the U.S. preferential access to new Ukrainian minerals deals in return for an investment fund for Kyiv.

Concern is growing in Moscow that Russia could lose its edge in talks with the United States over the Ukraine war now that Kyiv finally signed an economic partnership agreement giving Washington preferential access to future Ukrainian minerals deals.

The agreement could provide a windfall to the U.S., but the resources will be expensive to extract, and any progress is unlikely while the war rages.