Here is another possible breakthrough occurring in the Trump administration – one that, IF it takes place, would both end a horrific war and have huge implications for the future strength of our country.
From Ben Whedon’s article for justthenews.com:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to arrive in Washington, D.C., on Friday, reportedly to sign a formal agreement on the joint extraction of his nation’s mineral resources, but the final terms of the agreement were up in the air as of Friday morning and it remains unclear whether he will secure an agreement with the White House at all.
The reported agreement stemmed from President Donald Trump’s repeated demands that Ukraine repay the American investment in its defense against the ongoing Russian invasion. That demand prompted outrage from Kyiv and led to a cycle of reported deals and retractions that further strained relations between both countries.
His arrival comes as Russia makes gains on the battlefield across the front and Washington pursues a rapprochement with the Kremlin that could see the major powers sideline Ukraine while they pursue other ventures.
Trump has already spoken with Russian President vladimir putin. If he can put together a deal with Zelensky to end this grotesque, mutually devastating war – and get the USA major compensation for its funding of that war in the form of minerals that are imperative for the USA, it would be hard to overstate how important that would be.
But what are the specifics? What minerals are we talking about?
From Abdujalil Abdurasulov and Robert Plummer’s article for the BBC:
Kyiv estimates that about 5% of the world’s “critical raw materials” are in Ukraine.
This includes some 19m tonnes of proven reserves of graphite, which the Ukrainian Geological Survey state agency says makes the nation “one of the top five leading countries” for the supply of the mineral. Graphite is used to make batteries for electric vehicles.
Ukraine has 7% of Europe’s supplies of titanium, a lightweight metal used in the construction of everything from aeroplanes to power stations.
It is also home to a third of all European lithium deposits, the key component in current batteries.
Other elements found in Ukraine include beryllium and uranium, which are both crucial for nuclear weapons and reactors.
Deposits of copper, lead, zinc, silver, nickel, cobalt and manganese are also significant.
Further, Ukraine has significant deposits of rare earth metals. These are a group of 17 elements that are used to produce weapons, wind turbines, electronics and other products vital in the modern world.
That important enough for you?
Look, this deal has not yet been consummated. But the fact that Zelensky has traveled to the United States to talk directly with President Trump tells us it is at least seriously on the table.
Let’s wait and see how this turns out….and hope that Trump can square the circle by both ending the war and simultaneously getting us the enormous benefit of these minerals in the bargain.
Then we can all wait for Chuck Schumer, ilhan omar, Jasmine Crockett, Jamie Raskin and Hakeem Jeffries to tell us what’s wrong with it.
