Zelenskyy 'Ukraine war aid, ‘got only $75 of $177b, Trump say Ukraine needs to repay, “U.S. pausing all military aid to Ukraine” Zelensky folded???
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All Presidents are. The ones that weren’t were sent to bed early except Andrew Jackson.
They’re in full swing tryin’ to repair the broken lines of communication with Russia
If they can’t secure a rare earth deal with Russia, it’s gonna be interesting.
Ukraine future is in Russia hands, look at this rare earth map of Ukraine.
Russia at its current pace, can reach the green dot, inside the Donbas area within the next six months.
It’s been said two years ago, once they get pass that area… they very well can adventure all the way to the Dnieper River. This would give them security in their minds(I think they should cut off the sea access) and control of mining.
Why It Matters
This map, based on data by the U.S. Geological Survey, shows the locations of mineral deposits in Ukraine. The map also shows Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine based on analysis by the Institute for the Study for War.
Newsweek/USGS/ISW/Carto
It’s like Trump was tasked with get things peaceful with Russia. So, the attention is directed towards that Asia-pacific aka China and North KoreaWord
He’s trying to drive a wedge between Moscow and Beijing. (That would be stupidity on Russia part, but hey strange shit happens)
If that's the case, he's the wrong guy for the job. That moron wouldn't going to get Russia to distance itself from China in a million years.
Might’ve been Rubio saying, China is the greatest threat…
They want to isolate China like they tried to do with Russia.
I’ve heard folks in this administration say, China is behind the drug problem in America.
So apparently Chinese and Mexicans are working hand in hand
Officials in Ukraine and the Trump administration said they have reached a deal that would give the United States revenues from Ukraine’s minerals and other natural resources, after an intense pressure campaign by the American president.
Terms of the agreement
It is not clear if the two sides have reached final agreement on the terms of the deal.
A draft seen by The New York Times dated Feb. 25 described the creation of a U.S.-controlled fund that would receive revenue from Ukraine’s natural resources.
Missing from the draft was Mr. Trump’s initial demand that Ukraine contribute $500 billion to a fund owned by the United States and pay back twice the amount of any future American aid.
Under the draft agreement, Ukraine would contribute into the fund half of its revenues from the future monetization of natural resources, including critical minerals, oil and gas, as well as earnings from associated infrastructure, such as liquefied natural gas terminals and port infrastructure.
- The fund would not draw on revenue from existing mines, oil wells and other natural resources businesses.
- The United States would own the maximum financial interest in the fund allowed under American law, though not necessarily all. It is unclear how that would be interpreted.
- The fund would be designed to reinvest some revenues into Ukraine.
Security guarantee
The draft vaguely referenced security guarantees, but did not signal any specific U.S. commitment to safeguarding Ukraine’s security — a provision Kyiv has vigorously pressed to include as its war against Russia enters its fourth year.
A copy of the agreement obtained Wednesday by The New York Times included a sentence stating that the United States “supports Ukraine’s effort to obtain security guarantees needed to establish lasting peace.” Previous drafts did not have the phrase.
Approval process
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine is expected to travel to Washington on Friday to sign the agreement with President Trump. The draft obtained by The Times showed Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury secretary, and Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukraine’s economy minister, as the initial signatories.
It was not clear whether the draft, dated Tuesday, was a final version.
Ukraine’s mineral resources
Ukraine controls more than 100 major deposits of critical minerals, according to a study by the Kyiv School of Economics, along with modest oil and natural gas reserves.
Ukraine also has deposits of 20 of the 50 minerals the U.S. Geological Survey lists as critical for America’s economic development and defense, including:
Titanium, used in construction, airplanes, orthopedic implants and as an additive in paint and cosmetics, including sunscreen, among many other things. Titanium mines in central Ukraine account for about 6 percent of global production, according to Ukrainian media.
Lithium, a crucial element in batteries, including those in electric vehicles, and in other industrial products, including some medications. Ukraine has a third of Europe’s total reserves, although some sites are in war-contested areas. Before the war with Russia, Ukrainian officials suggested to Elon Musk that he invest in Ukrainian lithium mines.
Rare earths, a group of more than a dozen metals, much less abundant than titanium or lithium, that are used in many high-tech sectors, including green energy, electronics and aerospace. Ukraine has substantial reserves that are mostly untapped, and it is unclear how expensive they would be to extract.
Manganese, used for steel smelting.
Zirconium, used in the ceramics industry, nuclear fuel rods and artificial diamonds.
Graphite, used in steel manufacturing and electric motors. Ukraine is one of the world’s leading producers.
Ukraine also has Europe’s largest reserves of uranium, used in nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons. Oil and natural gas fields dot several regions of Ukraine, and surveys conducted before the war found offshore natural gas reserves.
Why they’re valuable
Mr. Trump has said he wants revenue from the minerals as repayment for military aid that the United States has provided to Ukraine.
He also could be seeking access to gain a geopolitical advantage over Beijing: Ukraine could help break a Chinese near-monopoly on some rare earth metals needed for mobile phones, other electronics and possibly future technologies.
“It’s clear that Europe, Japan, and the United States are all dependent on China for rare earth elements,” Serhiy Vyzhva, director of the Institute of Geology at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, said in an interview.
Other ores, minerals and energy are less strategic but still valuable. Ukrainian oil and natural gas reserves could be a source of revenue for the U.S.-controlled fund envisioned in the agreement.
How the minerals would actually be extracted has not been extensively discussed with the Trump administration, but developing those resources has been long-term goal for Ukraine.
“Our geological base is similar to that of Canada and South Africa, both of which have extensive mineral resources,” said Mr. Vyzhva, the Ukrainian geologist.
The country’s most productive mines produce iron, titanium, manganese and zirconium, he said, adding that Ukraine was “highly interested” in investment, but its “main focus remains on ending the war.”
Remaining obstacles
When Mr. Zelensky last fall introduced the idea of trading natural resources for military support, he told the Ukrainian Parliament the country’s mineral wealth was worth “trillions” of dollars. That bonanza would be available to “either Russia and its allies or Ukraine and the democratic world” depending on who won the war, he said.
The resources are valuable but experts say that Mr. Zelensky’s estimate is exaggerated. Much exploration remains to be done to assess the true value of the country’s critical minerals, they say, and cumbersome bureaucracy and corruption has limited investment. Under a Soviet-era policy, for example, information about some reserves are classified as state secrets, preventing foreigners from even studying them, a Ukrainian business newspaper reported.
The Ukrainian government’s revenues last year from natural resources royalties were $1.1 billion, far less than the hundreds of billions of dollars Mr. Trump has said he is seeking from the agreement.
The International Energy Agency reported in 2023 that lithium is now mined in sufficient quantities around the world to meet global demand.
One lithium deposit and several rare earth deposits are in Ukrainian territory currently occupied by Russia. Some offshore natural gas deposits in the Black Sea are also inaccessible while fighting continues; some drilling platforms have become contested sea bases for both Russian and Ukrainian marines.
American and other international oil companies have also previously tried to do business in Ukraine.
Before Russia’s military incursion in eastern Ukraine in 2014, Ukraine cut deals with Chevron and Shell to explore for shale gas, which the country possesses in abundance — though it has not been economically viable to extract. Shell’s project ended with the Russian incursion, which occupied areas near the site of its project in the Donetsk region. Chevron’s project was canceled because of geological challenges.
What We Know About the U.S.-Ukraine Minerals Deal
A draft agreement discussed on Tuesday does not include a $500 billion payout the Trump administration demanded earlier.www.nytimes.com
whay do yall think about this???
It's a classic mafia protection racket.
The Trump family cut a deal with the Russians and promised Ukraine they would keep them on a leash in exchange for tribute. This is going to be one hell of a sit down.
A part of me wants him to embarrass Trump like Macron did but the smartest thing for him to do would be to massage Trump's ego unfortunately.
I disagree.
The smartest thing to do would be to tell Trump "screw you and your aid. The EU gives us far more assistance than you ever have and if you give Putin so much as a single bullet the entire continent will turn on your ass faster than Melania on her rag."
Trump is a bully. It's time for the world's playground to step up..
I really hope he does this. What are chances that he does this though, honestly?
Pretty damn good considering
The EU is already forming their own defense alliance separate from NATO.
The EU already provides far more assistance than the US does.
The new German Chancellor has already announced he's cutting ties with the US
Trump has weakened the military by pushing through an unqualified joint chief of staff.
Trump has already been impeached for offering Zielinsky a quid pro quo
But what's most telling.
Trump wants half a trillion dollars worth of rare earth minerals in exchange for less than $200 billion worth of aid. Then he pulls back the promise of aid with Zelenski's plane still in the air. Yet somehow the man still wants to meet with him.
This either means
A) Ukraine is incredibly desperate
B) Zelenski is using this opportunity to send a message.
Trump got a bone spur deferment. Zelensky is a warrior. If anyone can send a message it's him.
Trump would laugh dead in his fucking face if he’d say this.
Putin don’t need equipment from Washington.
Trump would laugh dead in his fucking face if he’d say this.
Putin don’t need equipment from Washington.
Hate to say I told you so but...
Some of the EU vs Russia, how would that go
We all know how it would go.
Without US support Europe is a pussy waiting to get fucked.
That is why it is important for the US to pull all funding from Ukraine and not allow an article 5 intervention if Europe fucks with Russia.
It needs to be Ukraine vs Russia....no proxy involvement.
We need to cut our loses and move on.
I am just tired of all the crazy military support for a country that would have lost this war a long time ago without NATO intervention.
The escalation was getting scary but these crazy muthafuckas were still moving forward.
The people in these countries will not have bunkers to hide in when the missiles fly....only the politicians.
This shit needs to end.
If they want to destroy each other...then have at it. But we need to stay out of it.
After they destroy each other, we can help them rebuild again like after WW2. It would be fantastic for our economy.
And when Russia takes over Europe and teams up with China who do you think is next?
You must old or get your news from legacy media.
Russia has no desire to "take over Europe" and does not have the GDP to be able to do it.
If you had been paying attention to NATO/Russia issues for the last 15+ years, you would have known that NATO has been encroaching on Russian territory and this has been a fucking huge issue for Russia.
This is a fucking fact.
The climax was the color revolution that happened when Ukraine's leader was toppled in 2014...then Russia took Crimea...then the Minsk agreement was made but was broken by the shelling of ethnic Russians in the Donbas region by Ukrainians.
Then Russia invaded.
Stop listening to your media and online weirdos trying to goad you into a needless war wasting American lives.
You cats are fucking weirdos...on one hand some of you are against the US intervening against the Mexican cartels right on our border while on the other hand you want to "save Europe from Russia".
GTFOH
Oh so Russia is the victim here and dictator Zelenski is the bad guy, I need to stop getting news from that legacy fake media
Dawg Russia don’t even want Ukraine, so they damn sure don’t want Europe….
That if what they say is true
Russia teaming with China is Biden doing from the late 90’s
Yeah just Iran and North Korea... be serious bro. Russia is on the ropes
Trump would laugh dead in his fucking face if he’d say this.
Putin don’t need equipment from Washington.
I dont give a fuck about who is good or bad.
The fucking war just needs to end to avoid what could happen due to escalation.
Why cant yall understand that?
I have similar sentiments. We gave them over 175 Billion. They would have lost the war a long time ago without us. Hell yeah we should get a return. I don't agree with how Trump came at him, but I agree with his stance. Biden/Kamala would have continued giving them Billions and not ask for anything in return. I have a feeling that Zelensky is going to end up agreeing to the deal too. He kind of has to.