Zelensky Rejects Trump Administration Demand for Half of Ukraine’s Mineral Resources
www.nytimes.com
President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly faulted the American proposal because it did not include security guarantees.

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, during a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, rejected an offer by the Trump administration to relinquish half of the country’s mineral resources in exchange for U.S. support, according to five people briefed on the proposal or with direct knowledge of the talks.

The unusual deal would have granted the United States a 50 percent interest in all of Ukraine’s mineral resources, including graphite, lithium and uranium, according to two European officials. Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury secretary, who presented the deal to Ukraine, said Sunday that the United States wanted the minerals “as payback for the aid we’ve given them” — leaving unclear whether the deal would cover future military and financial assistance.

A Ukrainian official and an energy expert briefed on the proposal said that the Trump administration sought not only Ukraine’s minerals but additional natural resources, including oil and gas. The proposal, they said, would entitle the United States to half of Ukraine’s resource earnings — funds that are today mostly invested in the country’s military and defense production.

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  • PlainSimpleGarakEnglish
    113·
    4 days ago

    As a US citizen, it’s never been hostile towards me. In fact, I would imagine most people have had little to no engagement with the federal government (outside of the routine items: taxes, etc…) Now, their state government may be a different story.