What projects has Ukraine proposed to the US as part of the mineral agreement?

Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said that after signing the mineral deal with the US her department is working with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to launch the first projects. Svyrydenko recently announced that the pilot project of the newly created investment fund will focus on developing the Dobra lithium deposit in the Kirovohrad region.

However, Kyiv is also offering the US other projects, including an offshore gas exploration project involving state-owned Naftogaz, as well as a plan to modernize the Kremenchuk Oil Refinery – the country’s largest oil processing facility owned by Ukrnafta and located in the Poltava region. The minister called the refinery project strategic and profitable, and the ministry has submitted the project, valued at $2.7B, for consideration by the DFC and is awaiting a response. The Kremenchuk refinery has frequently been targeted in Russian attacks, so American companies involved in the project may request that the US government bolster Ukraine’s air defenses.

Kyiv aims to implement the first three projects under the agreement within the next 18 months.