Kyiv has agreed terms with Washington on a minerals deal that Ukrainian officials hope will improve relations with the Trump administration and pave the way for a long-term US security commitment.

Ukrainian officials say Kyiv is now ready to sign the agreement on jointly developing its mineral resources, including oil and gas, after the US dropped demands for a right to $500bn in potential revenue from exploiting the resources.

The officials argued that they had negotiated far more favourable terms and depicted the deal as a way of broadening the relationship with the US to shore up Ukraine’s prospects after three years of war.

MBFC
Archive

  • TheCriticalMember@aussie.zone
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    20
    ·
    edit-2
    9 hours ago

    FFS. So the US successfully extorted Ukraine. World leaders need to stop fucking doing business with trump. Shit like this just makes him worse.

    And the idea that this will keep the US in their corner is beyond stupid. He’ll be demanding more within a month. Fuck trump and fuck America.

      • IndustryStandard@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        20
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        17 hours ago

        The US has the special ability to blame all bad things on their current president and definitely not the country as a whole.

        Contrary to every other country in the world.

  • IndustryStandard@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    27
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    17 hours ago

    Is FT seriously trying to spin this as if Ukraine achieved anything in negotiations? American extortion won.

    • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      19
      ·
      16 hours ago

      If Trump renegs the US gets nothing. This is awful but the real politik is probably that this is the best solution Ukraine can access that stops the violence.

      And it’s possible Zelensky is planning to reneg on the deal as soon as Trump is out if America can accomplish that.

      • shalafi@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        9
        ·
        15 hours ago

        Zelensky should absolutely reneg. In his shoes, I’d sign about anything, but I’d also be willing to tell the US to fuck off in the end.

  • wax
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    34
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    18 hours ago

    Extortion.

  • PugJesus@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    58
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    21 hours ago

    Ukrainian officials say Kyiv is now ready to sign the agreement on jointly developing its mineral resources, including oil and gas, after the US dropped demands for a right to $500bn in potential revenue from exploiting the resources.

    … then what, exactly, remains in the deal?

    Ukrainian officials added that the deal was just a “framework agreement” and that no revenues would change hands until the fund was in place, allowing them time to iron out any potential disagreements. Among the outstanding issues is to agree the jurisdiction of the agreement.

    I can’t help but still feel this is a bad idea.

    • breakfastmtn@lemmy.caOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      65
      ·
      21 hours ago

      I can’t help but still feel this is a bad idea.

      Totally. But Ukraine’s in an impossible situation. The US running a protection racket is fucking disgusting.

      • Madison420@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        20
        ·
        17 hours ago

        A protection racket involves actual protection though, the USA has specifically said no security agreements will be made.

        I’m not sure wtf Ukraine is giving them rights for.

      • PugJesus@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        27
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        20 hours ago

        It is disgusting, but I also don’t see what Ukraine gets out of this. It’s not a protection racket if protection isn’t provided in exchange. I don’t know that I would even rightly call it extortion, since I don’t think Ukraine signing this will affect Trump’s behavior as a Putinist puppet.

        I hope the stress and necessity of looking after his own country during wartime, not to mention dozens of other national leaders, hasn’t led Zelensky or his team to underestimate just how ghoulish and empty Trump is, or how fucked US politics are at the moment, if they’re hoping for a “Come to Jesus” moment from the GOP or judiciary if Trump blatantly turns against Ukraine.

        • breakfastmtn@lemmy.caOP
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          7
          ·
          20 hours ago

          I’m sure they know exactly who and what Trump is. I don’t think it’ll change Trump’s behaviour either. I’m assuming they’re just gambling against the odds that it will because the near future without the US is much harder for Ukraine than it is with them.

          • PugJesus@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            10
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            20 hours ago

            I hope that they’re stalling, or that the agreement is just something that looks good to Trump’s shit-clogged brain without promising anything substantial. Or something with a subtle poison pill or loophole in it of some sort that would make ‘calling in’ the benefits difficult, at least for so long as the war goes on.

            But I’m inclined to agree that this seems like they’re just gambling that any chance of US help is better than none.

            Still. I really hope it isn’t.

        • forrgott@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          20 hours ago

          Well, my heart goes out to the Ukrainian people, but obviously they don’t need Trump invading as well. Would he follow through? All I can say is I’m not convinced he wouldn’t.

          So ashamed of my country these days…

  • tal@lemmy.today
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    20
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    21 hours ago

    Uh huh. So now that we’re not being terribly-exploited by Ukraine any more and Trump can announce that he has brilliantly cut a deal which will, no doubt, make America great again, are we ramping supply of military hardware back up?

    • PugJesus@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      12
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      21 hours ago

      To “peacekeeping forces” under the command of Russia, to secure the minerals, of course. /s

  • nao@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    15
    ·
    20 hours ago

    Is there any info on what Ukraine gains from this, other than “improved relations”?

    • Olap@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      18 hours ago

      Probably a share of any developed resources. And defence today. Probably not enough to consider this deal, I hope it is time limited

      • Madison420@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        17 hours ago

        No defense agreement at all as far as I can tell. Just some ambiguous insinuation that trump and Russia will make a better deal because of it.

    • robbinhood@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      12
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      20 hours ago

      Trump doesn’t have to bluff anything. I’ve seen a few comments now suggesting that Zelenskyy somehow has the upper hand and is negotiating from a position of strength while Trump is weak.

      Ukraine and Zelenskyy have absolutely no leverage over Trump. Zip, notta.

      I hope Ukraine wins this war. I hope Putin pisses off Trump and Trump resumes full support for Ukraine. I hope Putin is destabilized and better leadership replaces him.

      But Zelenskyy is no position to “call” anything and Trump has no reason to bluff.

      • magnetosphere@fedia.io
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        18 hours ago

        Sorry, hate to be like this, but I have a small correction for you. “Notta” isn’t a word. The word you’re looking for is “nada”, which is “nothing” in Spanish.

      • PugJesus@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        8
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        20 hours ago

        But Zelenskyy is no position to “call” anything and Trump has no reason to bluff.

        I don’t think this is a ‘bluff’ or being ‘called’, but I do feel the need to point out that this is a similar situation to the tariffs on Canada and Mexico - Trump seeks a ‘win’ by looking ‘tough’. Insofar as he can be made to seem weak or foolish, such deals are a loss for him. Zelensky is, arguably, in a position to ‘call’ simply because Trump seems very likely to rescind aid and take Russia’s side regardless of what Zelensky does.

        But again - I don’t think this is a bluff or a call. And not knowing the details of the agreement makes it even hazier.

        • robbinhood@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          edit-2
          20 hours ago

          Gotcha. I see better where you’re coming from now. Yeah, Zelenskyy needs to be very very careful.

          edit: mixed up commenters but the comment above is insightful and turn out right.

  • kitnaht@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    20 hours ago

    I’d love if they went “well, the deal was for these resources in Crimea, and since they’re not under our border any more, we can’t deliver!”