Overview

• The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation committed $75 million and Ukraine will match it, establishing $150 million in initial capital and prompting officials to declare the fund operational.
• The fund’s first targets include energy, infrastructure and critical minerals, with a goal of implementing three projects by the end of 2026.
• Financing will be disbursed on a pay-as-you-go basis once individual projects are authorized, and Ukraine plans to split its $75 million share between this year’s and next year’s budgets.
• Before accepting proposals, the board plans to hire an administrator, open bank accounts and approve investment guidelines, with DFC teams already scouting pilot sites such as a titanium–zirconium–hafnium deposit.
• Officials say the vehicle is designed to attract additional public and private finance, as the underlying agreement provides Washington with favorable access and notification rights, while critics in Ukraine question economic sovereignty and the absence of explicit security guarantees.