UKRAINE was poised to sign a landmark mineral resources agreement with the United States in Washington today, two senior Ukrainian officials revealed.

Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko was in the US capital to finalise the technical details of the deal, which authorities say will bolster Ukraine’s role in the global supply of strategic minerals.

The agreement was expected to be approved by the Ukrainian cabinet after the Morning Star went to print. 

It would then need to be signed by an authorised government representative. Parliamentary ratification will be required before it can take effect.

Preparations for the signing came amid US efforts to initiate peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, although progress remains slow.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier that reaching a deal to end the war was “far too complex to be done quickly.” 

He said Russian President Vladimir Putin favoured a ceasefire before formal talks begin, but “a few questions and nuances” still needed to be resolved. 

Mr Peskov added that Mr Putin remained open to direct negotiations with Ukraine without preconditions.

“We realise that Washington wants to achieve quick progress, but we hope for understanding that the Ukrainian crisis settlement is far too complex to be done quickly,” he said.

Meanwhile, an overnight Russian drone strike on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, wounded at least 45 civilians, according to local officials. 

The United Nations said this marked the continuation of a grim pattern of daily civilian casualties since the start of 2025.

A new report by the UN Human Rights Office revealed that in the first three months of this year, 2,641 civilian casualties were verified, nearly 900 more than the same period of 2024. 

Between April 1 and 24 alone, casualties were up 46 per cent compared with the same weeks of last year.