“We are very, very close. <…> It could even be signed as early as this week,” he told Bloomberg, commenting on the deal.

On April 11 and 12, the Ukrainian and American representatives held technical talks to discuss the terms and conditions of the deal on Ukrainian natural resources. Later, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal reported that the consultations were continuing,TASS reported.

The minerals deal previously fell apart because of a verbal spat between Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and US President Donald Trump in the White House on February 28. On March 27, Kiev announced receiving a revised offer, one which was much tougher on Ukraine than the previous one. The latest proposal demands all of Ukraine’s revenues from natural resources as repayment for aid worth some $120 billion that Washington has provided to Kiev. The United States will control an investment fund to help Ukraine’s recovery as part of the deal.

Since then, Ukrainian officials have repeatedly stated that they are still reviewing the terms, while Zelensky has complained that Washington has changed the original terms of the agreement.

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