Listeners:
Top listeners:
-
play_arrow
Ukraine, US To Sign Minerals Deal (Worthy News In-Depth)
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
WASHINGTON/KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – War-torn Ukraine has agreed with the United States to jointly develop its natural resources in an effort to ease tensions and advance the prospects of a U.S.-backed ceasefire with Russia, several officials said Tuesday.
The deal is due to be inked as early as Friday when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to meet U.S. President Donald J. Trump in Washington, Worthy News learned.
“I hear that he’s coming on Friday,” U.S. President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Tuesday. “Certainly, it’s okay with me if you’d like to, and he would like to sign it together with me. And I understand that’s a big deal.”
However, according to sources familiar with the accord, the agreement lacks American security guarantees for Ukraine, which Kyiv was reportedly pushing for.
However, it also does not mention the $500 billion figure Trump demanded in compensation for Washington’s support for Kyiv in fending off Moscow’s invasion.
Yet one version does say that Kyiv will pay “50 percent” of the revenues from its state-owned natural resources into a fund that would invest in Ukraine.
MAJOR SHIFT
Sources say Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will sign the deal after it is approved by Ukraine’s Cabinet this week.
If the deal goes ahead, it will mark a significant shift in Zelenskyy’s thinking.
Zelenskyy so far refused to sign two draft agreements proposed by Trump’s administration, which reportedly included Kyiv giving up minerals, oil and gas revenues, plus earnings from ports and other infrastructure to the tune of $500 billion.
“I will not sign what 10 generations of Ukrainians will have to pay back,” Zelenskyy said Sunday. But suggested that a “final deal” is “very close” and that it will include “rare earths and various other things.”
Yet experts say that despite reports of $10 trillion in mineral deposits, Ukraine has no major rare-earth reserves, used mainly in high-strength magnets, that are recognized as economically viable.
“Ukraine does have some commercial mines of critical minerals such as titanium and gallium, which while important aren’t likely to be worth the sums Trump envisages,” commented business news agency Bloomberg News.
BIGGER CHALLENGE
“Even if Ukraine does have any economically viable deposits, the West still has a bigger challenge to overcome. Most countries are forced to send the rare earths they mine to be refined in China as it dominates the processing of these materials,” Bloomberg News added.
However with enough support Ukraine could develop huge deposits of critical elements and minerals, from lithium to titanium, which are vital to manufacturing modern technologies and crucial in the global race for resources, according to a Worthy News assessment.
The deal could also help overcome tensions between Kyiv and Washington after Trump called Zelenskyy “a dictator” while the Ukrainian leader said his U.S. counterpart was living in a “Russian disinformation bubble.”
Trump says he wants to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia backed up by business deals while Europe would be more actively involved in providing guarantees.
Ukraine just observed the third anniversary of a war that is believed hi have killed and injured at least 1 million people since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022.
(With additional reporting by the Worthy News Europe Bureau in Budapest.)
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
The confrontation between the United States and Iran escalated sharply this weekend after President Donald Trump issued a stark ultimatum threatening to “obliterate” Iran’s power infrastructure if Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours — one of the world’s most critical chokepoints.
Iran escalated its conflict with the United States by launching two long-range missiles at the U.S.-U.K. base on Diego Garcia—its first confirmed use of intermediate-range ballistic missiles. The strike, targeting a base about 2,500 miles away, revealed capabilities far beyond what many analysts had expected.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday night was “a very difficult evening in the campaign for our future” after Iranian ballistic missiles struck the southern cities of Dimona and Arad, injuring at least 175 people and causing significant damage to civilian neighborhoods.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will help with security efforts at the nation’s airports beginning Monday as a partial government shutdown is causing lengthy delays for passengers, President Donald Trump wrote Sunday on social media.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday will hear arguments in a consequential case to determine if states can accept and count mail-in ballots after Election Day.
U.S. President Donald J. Trump used a major conservative gathering in Hungary to endorse Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ahead of a high-stakes April 12 election, as warnings over mass migration and what speakers described as the “Islamization of Europe” dominated the conference.
Human rights activists and senior officials have expressed concern about Russia’s interference in Hungary’s upcoming elections after revelations that a former interpreter of Russian President Vladimir Putin is part of an international observation mission overseeing the April 12 vote.
WHO WE ARE
The Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs encapsulate the beauty, wisdom, and eternal truths found in the Bible, creating an immersive experience that resonates with believers and seekers alike.
CONTACT
- +1 908 280-4246
- Essex County, USA
- info@tnjrfm.com