After months of tense negotiations, the U.S. and Ukraine signed a deal that is expected to give Washington access to the country’s critical minerals and other natural resources, an agreement Kyiv hopes will secure long-term support for its defense against Russia.

After months of tense negotiations, the U.S. and Ukraine have signed a deal that is expected to give Washington access to the country’s critical minerals and other natural resources.

Ukraine managed to wrangle some more favorable terms out of the United States before signing the long-awaited minerals deal on Wednesday.