KYIV, Ukraine >> More than a month after Ukraine signed a landmark agreement granting the United States a stake in its mineral reserves, Kyiv is striving to show the Trump administration that the deal can deliver swift, tangible results.

On Monday, Ukraine approved the first steps to allowing private investors to mine a major state-owned lithium deposit, two government officials said. Such a project would be the first to be greenlit under the deal.

The government agreed to begin drafting recommendations for opening bidding by companies to mine the Dobra lithium field in central Ukraine, according to the two officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic. It is one of Ukraine’s largest fields of lithium, a mineral crucial for producing electric batteries.

Among the likely bidders is a consortium of investors that include TechMet, an energy investment firm partly owned by the U.S. government, and Ronald Lauder, a billionaire friend of President Donald Trump. The group has long expressed interest in the Dobra lithium deposit, urging President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine in late 2023 to open bids.

Under the broader deal, half the revenue the Ukrainian government earns from mineral extraction would go to a joint U.S.-Ukraine investment fund. That revenue would then be reinvested in Ukraine’s economy, though the United States would also claim a portion. Trump has portrayed that arrangement as repayment for past U.S. aid to the war-torn country.

Drafting the recommendations is expected to take weeks, and the Ukrainian government could still decide against opening the bidding process. The Ukrainian government did not publicly comment on Monday’s decision.

Still, it signaled Ukraine’s effort to show Trump that the deal is making headway, amid growing concerns that the White House may disengage from the war as ceasefire talks with Russia stall.

The United States has shown particular interest in tapping Ukraine’s crucial minerals as a way to reduce reliance on China, which dominates global supply chains. Beijing has leveraged export restrictions on these minerals to pressure Trump to reach a trade deal.

Industry analysts warn that most projects under the deal will likely take a decade or more to become operational. This means the joint U.S.-Ukraine investment fund is unlikely to generate significant revenue for years and may turn profitable only long after Trump leaves office.