The United States and Ukraine sign a natural resources development agreement

The United States and Ukraine reached an agreement on access to Ukraine's natural resources on Wednesday, according to people familiar with the matter, in a move by Kiev to enlist the support of U.S. President Donald Trump in ceasefire talks with Russia. The agreement will allow the United States to enjoy privileges in new investment projects to develop Ukraine's natural resources, including aluminum, graphite, oil and gas. This is seen as key to cultivating Trump's goodwill towards Kiev as the United States pushes for an end to the 3-year-old conflict between Russia and Ukraine. "We reached an agreement where our money is safe and we can start digging and doing what we have to do," Trump said at a cabinet meeting at the White House earlier on Wednesday. " It's good for them too, because you'll have an American presence, and an American presence will keep a lot of'bad guys' out of the country, or out of the area where we're digging. "