Negotiations surrounding the deal had ratcheted up tensions between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky who refused to sign a first draft.

Trump lashed out at Zelensky in response claiming the Ukrainian leader was an illegitimate and corrupt “dictator”.

The cabinet today released a statement giving authorisation for either economy minister Yulia Svyrydenko or foreign minister Andriy Sybiga to sign the agreement.

Zelensky is expected in Washington tomorrow to oversee the signing of the accord and meet with Trump to discuss further US support for Kyiv, its most important military and political backer.

The Ukrainian leader told reporters including AFP that the accord was an initial document that service as a framework for broader accords.

Further discussions between US and Ukrainian officials would determine the nature of security guarantees for Ukraine and the exact sums of money at stake in the accord, he said.