Carpenter served as Senior Director for Europe at the National Security Council under former U.S. President Joe Biden, having previously been the U.S. Ambassador to OSCE.
“I believe you’re beginning to see how President Zelenskyy’s administration is using diplomacy to improve bilateral relations [with the United States],” Carpenter said in an interview with NV Radio.
“For example, the partnership agreement on critical minerals. To be honest, I don’t think it will be something huge, but the fact that it has been signed and ratified by the Verkhovna Rada [Ukrainian parliament] is a positive step—especially since the Trump administration attached significance to this agreement.”
Carpenter expressed hope that the deal would pave the way for more intensive and mutually respectful relations.
“Although I don’t think this will radically change the game,” he added.
On April 30, the U.S. and Ukraine signed an agreement to establish a 50/50 joint Ukraine-U.S. Recovery Investment Fund. The document contains 12 articles, lists critical materials, and outlines financial cooperation terms.
Ukraine’s representative in the fund will be the Agency for Support of Public-Private Partnerships, overseen by the Economy Ministry. The U.S. side will be represented by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed that the deal includes no security guarantees.
The document was ratified by the Ukrainian parliament on May 8.