The United States and Ukraine on April 30 finally signed the minerals deal that was delayed by the now-infamous Oval Office exchange between the U.S. and Ukrainian presidents two months ago.

With China continuing to tighten its grip on critical minerals after the imposition of U.S. tariffs, control of so-called rare earths—essential for the production of many new technologies such as electric vehicles, wind turbines, and smartphones—is becoming ever more important.