Ukraine official says minerals deal agreed with US

[The_Waco_Kid]

Trump. WINNING.


Ukraine official says minerals deal agreed with US


https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3...x-newtab-en-us


Ukraine has agreed the terms of a major minerals deal with the US, a senior official in Kyiv has told the BBC.


"We have indeed agreed it with a number of good amendments and see it as a positive outcome," the official said, without providing any further details.


Media reports say Washington has dropped initial demands for a right to $500bn (£395bn) in potential revenue from utilising the natural resources but has not given firm security guarantees to war-torn Ukraine - a key Ukrainian demand.


US President Donald Trump said he was expecting his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington to sign the deal this week, after the two leaders exchanged strong words about each other.


Without confirming that an agreement had been reached, Trump said on Tuesday that in return for the deal Ukraine would get "the right to fight on".


"They're very brave," he told reporters, but "without the United States and its money and its military equipment, this war would have been over in a very short period of time".
Asked whether supplies of US equipment and ammunition to Ukraine would continue, he said: "Maybe until we have a deal with Russia... We need to have a deal, otherwise it's going to continue."


There would be a need for "some form of peacekeeping" in Ukraine following any peace deal, Trump added, but that would need to be "acceptable to everyone".


Just last week, Trump described Zelensky as a "dictator", and appeared to blame Ukraine - not Russia - for starting the war, after the Ukrainian leader rejected US demands for $500bn in mineral wealth and suggested that the American president was living in a "disinformation space" created by Russia.


Trump has been pushing for access to Ukraine's minerals in return for previous military and other aid to the country since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion three years ago.


Zelensky argued nowhere near that much American aid had been provided, adding: "I can't sell our state."


On Tuesday, Trump said the US had given Ukraine between $300bn and $350bn.


"We want to get that money back," he said. "We're helping the country through a very very big problem... but the American taxpayer now is going to get their money back plus."


Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna told the Financial Times - which first reported the minerals deal on Tuesday - that the deal was "only part of the picture".
"We have heard multiple times from the US administration that it's part of a bigger picture," said Stefanishyna, who has led the negotiations.

According to Ukrainian sources, the US has had to back away from some of its more onerous demands from the war-torn nation and many of the details of this agreement will require further negotiation.


The precedent, however, is set. US aid in the Trump era comes with strings attached. Aid for aid's sake – whether given for humanitarian or strategic reasons – is a thing of the past.


That represents a fundamental reordering of American foreign policy for more than 75 years, from the days of the Marshall Plan to post-Cold War idealism and George W Bush's "Freedom Agenda" push to promote global democracy.


Ukraine is just the start. Expect Trump and his foreign policy team to apply their "America First" principles around the world over the course of the next four years.
Ukraine's news site Ukrainska Pravda reported that the minerals deal was set to be signed by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.


The news site's economics unit EP said the two countries had also agreed to set up a reconstruction investment fund.


Ukraine holds huge deposits of critical elements and minerals, including lithium and titanium, as well as sizeable coal, gas, oil and uranium deposits - supplies worth billions of dollars.


Last year, Zelensky presented a "victory plan" to Ukraine and its Western partners which proposed that foreign firms could gain access to some of the countries' mineral wealth at the end of the war.


On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was open to offering the US access to rare minerals, including from Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine.



Ukraine and its European allies have become increasingly alarmed over a recent thaw in US-Russian ties, including their bilateral talks in Saudi Arabia last week.


There is concern in Kyiv and across Europe that they might be excluded from any negotiations aimed at ending the war, and that the continent's future security as a whole could be decided behind their backs.


What minerals does Ukraine actually have?


It is estimated that about 5% of the world's "critical raw materials" are in Ukraine - including:

• 19 million tonnes of proven reserves of graphite, which is used to make batteries for electric vehicles

• A third of all European lithium deposits, the key component in current batteries.

Before Russia's full-scale invasion began three years ago, Ukraine also produced 7% of the world's titanium, used in construction for everything from aeroplanes to power stations.


Ukrainian land also contains significant deposits of rare earth metals, a group of 17 elements that are used to produce weapons, wind turbines, electronics and other products vital in the modern world


Some mineral deposits have been seized by Russia. According to Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukraine's economy minister, resources worth $350bn remain in Russian-occupied territories today.

[VitaMan]

There is Trump again with the $ 350 billion figure.

Note: why isn't Russia paying for this ? They are the invaders.

[Salty Again]

Glad to see a good agreement. ... Pay America back. ... Winning!

#### Salty

[VitaMan]

This agreement would be what WW2 would have looked like:

- Germany invades France
- in return for helping our ally we bully them to give us reparations
- Germany keeps 1/5 of France

[VitaMan]

Originally Posted by Salty Again

Glad to see a good agreement. ... Pay America back. ... Winning!

#### Salty

Why isn't Russia paying reparations ?

[tman1847]

WOW so Trump thinks that getting "rare earth minerals" we need, might be a reasonable request to compensate us for the Billions we have spent in their defense.
But the previous 50 year experienced political hack who devised all kinds of ways to compensate his son, brothers and family during his political career didn't think of this

[HDGristle]

You do know that not all of the Biden Era aid was cash, yes?

And aside from billions in hardware and ammo we didn't need, a pile of it was in the from of loans. Billions in loans. Right?

Making sure, before you look at us getting ROI on certain aid as being something that Trump thought up like everything was just a gift.

[BobbyBeeBrown]

Originally Posted by tman1847

WOW so Trump thinks that getting "rare earth minerals" we need, might be a reasonable request to compensate us for the Billions we have spent in their defense.
But the previous 50 year experienced political hack who devised all kinds of ways to compensate his son, brothers and family during his political career didn't think of this

Needing that proof of that again, please. MAGA loves to keep saying this. Never any proof given that Joe was behind any of it. No matter how hard those idiots Comer and Jordan tried. But maybe YOU have better sources? Like maybe Dan Bongino!

Meanwhile, this mineral deal sure AF ain't going to be a "Trillion dollars." There is nowhere near enough capacity to mine, build, refine, distribute, etc. That all has to be built and put in place. At hideous cost. We will be dependent on Chinese controlled resources for many more years.

[pertpvyztrzv]

Originally Posted by BobbyBeeBrown

Needing that proof of that again, please. MAGA loves to keep saying this. Never any proof given that Joe was behind any of it.

Seriously? Wow. Joe "Fire that guy or you don't get a billion dollars" Biden. Burisma, might be legit given all the experience Hunter has with energy aka: Taking money for access to VP. Well documented. Moscow mayor's wife, Joe's brother given contract to build houses in Iraq, even though he never built a house in his life. 10% to the Big Guy. Not doing your homework for you.

Meanwhile, this mineral deal sure AF ain't going to be a "Trillion dollars." There is nowhere near enough capacity to mine, build, refine, distribute, etc. That all has to be built and put in place. At hideous cost. We will be dependent on Chinese controlled resources for many more years.

True. But still a better deal then we got after Iraq and Afghanistan.

[pertpvyztrzv]

Originally Posted by HDGristle

You do know that not all of the Biden Era aid was cash, yes?

And aside from billions in hardware and ammo we didn't need, a pile of it was in the from of loans. Billions in loans. Right?

Making sure, before you look at us getting ROI on certain aid as being something that Trump thought up like everything was just a gift.

Zelensky seems to think it was a grant, not a loan.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...bt/ar-AA1zCKsa

It was a loan from the EU, but USA gave them money & equipment.

All that ammo and equipment was not stuff just laying around we weren't using. "Giving" that away caused us to be seriously short of our own equipment in case we needed it. Yes, it was an issue with China breathing down Taiwan's back and we seemed to think we are Taiwan's protector. So, yes, it was a big deal for us to have a shortage that the Military Industrial Complex couldn't keep up with the production to supply our own country.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/17/polit...ine/index.html

Even if it was a 'loan' think Ukraine was going to be able to ever pay it back? And half of it is "missing", I would look in Switzerland. Ukraine officials seemed to be buying up a bunch of real estate.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/09/16...-for-mansions/

[RX792P]

On Tuesday, Trump said the US had given Ukraine between $300bn and $350bn.

Trump is wrong...just like the $100MM Hamas condoms...

$175 billion total, only $106 billion directly aids the government of Ukraine.

[BobbyBeeBrown]

Originally Posted by pertpvyztrzv

Seriously? Wow. Joe "Fire that guy or you don't get a billion dollars" Biden. Burisma, might be legit given all the experience Hunter has with energy aka: Taking money for access to VP. Well documented. Moscow mayor's wife, Joe's brother given contract to build houses in Iraq, even though he never built a house in his life. 10% to the Big Guy. Not doing your homework for you.

Again. Proof. This is just repetition of MAGA media (and Comer/Jordan) bullshit. Saying you won't do my "homework" is exactly what I am talking about above. It's because you got nuthin.

Originally Posted by pertpvyztrzv

Zelensky seems to think it was a grant, not a loan.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...bt/ar-AA1zCKsa

It was a loan from the EU, but USA gave them money & equipment.

All that ammo and equipment was not stuff just laying around we weren't using. "Giving" that away caused us to be seriously short of our own equipment in case we needed it. Yes, it was an issue with China breathing down Taiwan's back and we seemed to think we are Taiwan's protector. So, yes, it was a big deal for us to have a shortage that the Military Industrial Complex couldn't keep up with the production to supply our own country.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/17/polit...ine/index.html

Even if it was a 'loan' think Ukraine was going to be able to ever pay it back? And half of it is "missing", I would look in Switzerland. Ukraine officials seemed to be buying up a bunch of real estate.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/09/16...-for-mansions/

The statement in RED is a complete misrepresentation. He did not say this was money that was "missing" in the way you imply in your statement.

https://www.csis.org/analysis/where-...us-aid-ukraine

Trump has lied and exaggerated about the money we gave Ukraine and this mineral deal repeatedly. I am perfectly fine with a legitimate, fair deal to help repay us for the assistance we gave. It seems Zelensky is too. But this ham-handed bullshit diplomacy through the media is just continued example of how badly the Trump administration handles these types of things.

[HDGristle]

Originally Posted by pertpvyztrzv

Zelensky seems to think it was a grant, not a loan.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...bt/ar-AA1zCKsa

It was a loan from the EU, but USA gave them money & equipment.

All that ammo and equipment was not stuff just laying around we weren't using. "Giving" that away caused us to be seriously short of our own equipment in case we needed it. Yes, it was an issue with China breathing down Taiwan's back and we seemed to think we are Taiwan's protector. So, yes, it was a big deal for us to have a shortage that the Military Industrial Complex couldn't keep up with the production to supply our own country.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/17/polit...ine/index.html

Even if it was a 'loan' think Ukraine was going to be able to ever pay it back? And half of it is "missing", I would look in Switzerland. Ukraine officials seemed to be buying up a bunch of real estate.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/09/16...-for-mansions/

You're conflating what he's saying. There were large grants given. There were also loans provided and which the U.S. helped secure. To go back to try to get repayment on a grant, as to his point, is asinine.

There's already structure in place regarding the loans.

Too much conflation with what this deal/framework is about vs what you erroneously think happened with the prior aid. It's kinda funny.

[pertpvyztrzv]

Originally Posted by BobbyBeeBrown

The statement in RED is a complete misrepresentation. He did not say this was money that was "missing" in the way you imply in your statement.

You're right, 43% not 50%. Missing is missing. Correct Zelensky didn't say the money was in Switzerland Mansions like I implied. But missing is missing. Before the war Ukraine was ranked as the #3 most corrupt country. So I'm sure missing, just means, missing.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/ukraine-r...083159977.html

[tman1847]

Originally Posted by BobbyBeeBrown

Needing that proof of that again, please. MAGA loves to keep saying this. Never any proof given that Joe was behind any of it. No matter how hard those idiots Comer and Jordan tried. But maybe YOU have better sources? Like maybe Dan Bongino!

Meanwhile, this mineral deal sure AF ain't going to be a "Trillion dollars." There is nowhere near enough capacity to mine, build, refine, distribute, etc. That all has to be built and put in place. At hideous cost. We will be dependent on Chinese controlled resources for many more years.

Well when Joe was a senator, a building contract was let to rebuild homes in Iraqi, the company that won the contract hired Joe's brother (no experience0.An of course Burmisa needed a drug addict who was fucking his brothers wife before the dirt even settled on his grave. Just coincidences, right. Liberal Logic