What we know about US-Ukraine minerals deal

[Eugene]

Source: BBC

What we know about US-Ukraine minerals deal

26 February 2025

Ian Aikman & James Gregory
BBC News

Ukraine says it has agreed to the terms of a "preliminary" deal that would give the US access to its deposits of rare earth minerals.

Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky said he hoped the initial agreement with the US "will lead to further deals", but confirmed no American security guarantees have been agreed yet.

US President Donald Trump said a deal would help American taxpayers "get their money back" for aid sent to Ukraine throughout the war and give Kyiv "the right to fight on" against Russia.

What are the terms of the deal?

Key details have not yet been made public, but on Wednesday Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Ukraine and the US had finalised a version of the agreement.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn527pz54neo

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Other reports say Trump and Zelensky are scheduled to meet this coming Friday.

[hlthe2b]

1. I hope the Europeans are intervening on this--when even Americans certainly cannot trust Trump...

No way that Zelensky can. I worry about this almost as much as I do our own fate under MAGA.

[SheltieLover]

2. Surely Zelenskyy knows better than to negotiate with the terrorist without Europeans!

[Scrivener7]

3. Is there an alternative to Starlink?

If there isn't, the felon and president musk hold them hostage.

[Eugene]

5. Ukraine says they have an alternative while admitting there is no "real alternative" to StarLink.

[Scrivener7]

6. If there's something, though, maybe they can defy these thugs.

[Bayard]

4. WTF?!

This will give Ukraine, "The RIGHT to fight on?" Totally warped. Totally sad for Ukraine.

Zelensky is demanding the security guarantees as a prerequisite to signing anything else. One bright spot. I don't see anything about getting back their land from Russia.

[Silent Type]

7. Sounds to me that this gives trump a way to fund Ukraine, while telling trumpsters Ukraine is paying for it.

Don't like bullying countries in the middle of war for survival, but this seems to indicate continued support rather than just cutting them off.

[Beastly Boy]

8. Trump signing the same type of deal with Putin would have been far worse.

The rare earth deposits that are subjec to this deal are located mainly in the Donbass and Zaporizzhia regions of Ukraine, currently annexed by Russia, occupied by Russia or in a war zone.

By signing a deal with Trump, no matter the terms, Zelensky insured that it would be in Trump's interest to retain these areas in Ukraine's control.

I don't know whether Trump, in light of his close ties with Putin, overlooked this obvious geopolitical eventuality, or whether he has some ulterior motives to undermine Putin. I am inclined to believe that Trump is not so stupid and blind as to overlook the implications of this deal for Ukraine and Russia, and that he is preparing some sort of a surprise for his buddy in Moscow. No idea where this is going to lead, but the implications are provoking.