Zelensky surrenders to Trump and 'will sign mineral deal within hours'

7,738 Views | 89 Replies | Last: 6 hrs ago by A_Gang_Ag_06
WolfCall
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Glad to see that a deal on the minerals seems to be working out.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14423219/volodymyr-zelensky-surrenders-donald-trump-sign-mineral-deal-hours.html
Quote:

Zelensky surrenders to Trump and 'will sign mineral deal within hours'
By STEPHEN M. LEPORE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
Published: 18:12 EST, 21 February 2025 | Updated: 18:43 EST, 21 February 2025

Donald Trump appears to have won his trade standoff with Volodymyr Zelensky, as the Ukrainian president is set to give in and sign a deal giving the U.S. access to deposits of critical minerals.

The deal was seen as crucial for satisfying Washington's demands for a peace settlement between Ukraine and Russia to end their three-year long war.

It's a staggering surrender from Zelensky, who had said just days earlier: 'I defend Ukraine, I can't sell our country.'

Zelensky said on Friday that officials from his country and the U.S. were working on concluding an economic deal to ensure that the accord worked and was fair to Kyiv.

'We're signing an agreement, hopefully in the next fairly short period of time,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about a deal for Ukraine's minerals.

The Wall Street Journal later cited several people familiar with the matter that the deal is close and will be signed within hours.

It comes following word that Zelensky angered Trump so much during negotiations that Trump threatened to completely pull US funding from Ukraine, Axios reported.

On Wednesday Zelensky rejected the demand for a share of its rare earth minerals -critical for cellphone production and a host of clean technologies.

That triggered a brutal war of words between the two leaders but an improved offer has reportedly been made to Kyiv. ......

.....

TAMUallen
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Danny Vermin
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Trump owns everybody.
Rossticus
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Negotiation works. Sometimes both sides have to be willing to say "eff you" before they each decide to concede enough to make the other happy.

Of course, we were told in another thread that Ukraine had no minerals of sufficient value to the US that it was worth leveraging continuing arms sales for them. Interested to see what the deal looks like.
Ag87H2O
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Trump has had a good month. Dude just keeps winning.

Biden would have been sending another 60 billion in war funding - no strings attached.
Teslag
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Good Trump, Good Zelenskyy.

captkirk
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
YouBet
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Nice.
samurai_science
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Time to strip mine
Rossticus
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Looks like Trump's first offer was hard line to see if Ukraine would bite. They didn't and he came back with something less one-sided. Can't blame him for trying, I guess.

Interesting context from the article:

"Senior government sources told the Financial Times that the deal provided scant details of what this 'long-term security shield' would look like.

'When we looked at the details there was nothing there [about future US security guarantees],' one official said, while another told The Telegraph that a clause in the contract awarded the US 'a lien on revenues'.

In other words, the official said, the contract meant 'pay us first, and then feed your children'."

"…Ukraine claimed the contract offered by Bessent was ruthless, seeking to exploit the country's vast resources for little in return.

According to the private draft seen by the Telegraph, the contract not only covered mineral resources, but the 'economic value associated with... oil and gas resources, ports, other infrastructure (as agreed)', leaving it unclear what else might be encompassed.

'This agreement shall be governed by New York law, without regard to conflict of laws principles,' it stated, going on to say that 'for all future licences, the US will have a right of first refusal for the purchase of exportable minerals'."

"An analysis of the contract's terms by the Telegraph concluded that, if the terms of the draft dated February 7, 2025 draft were accepted by Ukraine, Trump's demands would amount to a higher share of Ukrainian GDP than reparations imposed on Germany following World War I."
TAMUallen
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
I can see the liberal headlines now "Trump leads destruction of Ukraine by plundering resources"

Hahahahaha! Love winning so hard that it drives liberals crazy
Fishing Fools
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Drump the Liberal !!!

Sincerely,

A Textbook Conservative
nortex97
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Good, though it's a fake deal anyway. They don't have a lot of minerals worth a proverbial ton. The issue is really bending the knee.
Prosperdick
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Quote:

"…Ukraine claimed the contract offered by Bessent was ruthless, seeking to exploit the country's vast resources for little in return.
I guess $200 billion plus weapons and other aid is considered "little."
Rossticus
How long do you want to ignore this user?
nortex97 said:

Good, though it's a fake deal anyway. They don't have a lot of minerals worth a proverbial ton. The issue is really bending the knee.


I think that's why the first deal offered tried to get a cut from all sectors of their economy.
Rossticus
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Prosperdick said:

Quote:

"…Ukraine claimed the contract offered by Bessent was ruthless, seeking to exploit the country's vast resources for little in return.
I guess $200 billion plus weapons and other aid is considered "little."



Well, Since Biden already gave it all to them without expectation of compensation we don't quite have the leverage to make them pay it back without promising some measure of incentive.

If the first deal was just "pay us back like we're a loan shark, and get effed", then where's the carrot to get them to sign? Good attempt to see if they were stupid but only a moron would have signed that on their end.
PA24
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
So….Russia keeps what they took from Ukraine and the US will protect what is left of Ukraine for first right of refusal of discounted minerals?

BadMoonRisin
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Thanks Mr Bean
Stat Monitor Repairman
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Art of the Deal in action.
Stat Monitor Repairman
How long do you want to ignore this user?
PA24 said:

So….Russia keeps what they took from Ukraine and the US will protect what is left of Ukraine for first right of refusal of discounted minerals?


Wild part of all this is that texags been talking about this very settlement for 2.5 years, and now we here.
Rossticus
How long do you want to ignore this user?
PA24 said:

So….Russia keeps what they took from Ukraine and the US will protect what is left of Ukraine for first right of refusal of discounted minerals?




Won't know what we're on the hook for till the deal is signed and made public.
A_Gang_Ag_06
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Substitute minerals for oil.

PlaneCrashGuy
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
"Zelensky surrenders"

Exactly as I predicted
Teslag
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
PlaneCrashGuy said:

"Zelensky surrenders"

Exactly as I predicted


To the United States Einstein
Eliminatus
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Teslag said:

Good Trump, Good Zelenskyy.




Yup. Trump started high. Z held out, Trump offered lowered, Z will accept.

I am sure the US will still come out on top still but it won't be the completely rapacious first pass and good on Z for not taking it. So it'll likely still be win/win in the end. So the pundits will of course say Z "surrendered" to fluff the base. Par for the course.

And it spurred the EU to hopefully truly shoulder some load moving forward. Super curious to how this actually plays out now on the battlefields.
Teslag
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
PA24 said:

So….Russia keeps what they took from Ukraine and the US will protect what is left of Ukraine for first right of refusal of discounted minerals?




Appears that way. Zelenskyy saved his nation and all it cost him were some minerals they couldn't develop themselves.
Teslag
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
samurai_science said:

Time to strip mine


Rare earths are most widely mined by solvent extraction.
PA24
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Teslag said:

PA24 said:

So….Russia keeps what they took from Ukraine and the US will protect what is left of Ukraine for first right of refusal of discounted minerals?




Appears that way. Zelenskyy saved his nation and all it cost him were some minerals they couldn't develop themselves.
Trump calling BIBi asking when he gonna finish the demolishing of Gaza, he needs to start building the lavish Mago Del Gaza Golf Resort.
Rossticus
How long do you want to ignore this user?
You forgot the casino.
PlaneCrashGuy
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Teslag said:

PlaneCrashGuy said:

"Zelensky surrenders"

Exactly as I predicted


To the United States Einstein


Ukraine could have had better terms if they could've stopped Russia's advance once their counter offensive stalled. But Ukraine could not, and here we are.
LMCane
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Rossticus said:

Negotiation works. Sometimes both sides have to be willing to say "eff you" before they each decide to concede enough to make the other happy.

Of course, we were told in another thread that Ukraine had no minerals of sufficient value to the US that it was worth leveraging continuing arms sales for them. Interested to see what the deal looks like.
Great point.

several "experts" were telling us that all the minerals were already in the hands of the Russkies.

GUESS NOT!!
cupcakesprinkles
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
How embarrassing for the Biden admin. He had years to do this but all he did was send them over a quarter of a trillion dollars.

President Trump is in the office less than two months and already does this. Amazing.
Sq 17
How long do you want to ignore this user?
I am curious if Putin is ok with this permanent mining operations by American interests is similar to having American boots on the ground
bmks270
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
What does Russia get?

How does this stop the war without American military intervention?
Buck Turgidson
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Do "minerals" include natural gas or oil? It was my understanding that the Russians army was sitting right on top of those reserves.

[edit] Nevermind, I saw the map in the linked article.[/edit]
Last Page
Page 1 of 3
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.