Deal With Trump Like Canada and Greenland

Not Like A Wall Street Bank

The details of the latest proposed US-Ukraine Minerals “deal” started leaking yesterday in the early morning. It was actually more onerous for Ukraine than the first versions of the deal discussed weeks ago. It was also an indication that the Trump administration is being even more open in its alignment with Vladimir Putin.

The US is trying to control this—and hopefully Ukraine will react like Canada or Greenland—not like many Americans.

The US, not surprisingly, is trying to sell the deal as some great partnership for Ukraine. National Security Council spokesperson James Hewitt said

“The mineral deal offers Ukraine the opportunity to form an enduring economic relationship with the United States that is the basis for long term security and peace,"

The US also is trying to pretend (like they did last time) that the deal that they want is close to being agreed by Ukraine and that all will be signed and sealed soon. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, was very positive about the deal when speaking on wednesday.

"We have passed along a completed document for the economic partnership (that) is currently being reviewed by Ukrainians, and we hope to go to full discussions and perhaps even get signatures next week,"

As always though, this is the US government now operating in a world of brutal fantasy—where its wishes and brutalities are simply accepted by other states as a fait accompli.

The “deal” itself that the US is proposing for Ukraine basically turns ownership and control of Ukraine’s minerals to the USA—so that the USA receives direct repayments worth double the aid it has given—aid that was never a loan in the first place. It is outright extortion for what was a US gift—and a gift that was strongly in US interests btw.

A well-known Ukrainian MP, Yaroslav Zhelezniak, who is an economic expert, publicly started discussing the details of the offer yesterday morning. He released his first long telegram post on the subject at 9:06 AM.

Yaroslav Zhelezniak. He actually broke the story of the new mineral deal—not the western press.

Here was his analysis after spending the whole evening reading the 58 page report (which he acknowledges could still be revised). I used Google Translate which worked pretty well.

Well, keep an insider's eye on the minerals agreement.

I received this document from my sources yesterday.

According to my information, these 58 pages that I read all evening are dated March 23 and were supposedly sent to us by the 🇺🇸 American side. As a new draft of the minerals agreement. Its further fate is unknown.

I'll say right away that this is not the final (!!!) document. And I hope the 🇺🇦 Ukrainian side will demand and achieve significant changes to it. But the text that I saw is downright HORRIBLE. All 18 chapters... This is no longer a framework memorandum of intent (which was before the scandalous meeting in the Oval Office). This is a really big and very clear agreement. And it is not in our favor.

Just briefly:

▪️The management of 5 people, 3 of them from the USA with full veto power.

▪️We are already talking about all minerals. That is, there is oil, gas, and both new and existing ones.

▪️Across the entire territory of Ukraine.

▪️We are talking about production by both state and private companies.

▪️The money is converted immediately into currency.

▪️The fund's money is taken abroad. If suddenly, for some reason, something did not arrive, we pay extra.

▪️The US contribution - we have already been provided with assistance since 2022.

And they can make a profit at their own discretion. And they receive "royalties" from the Fund first (and then Ukraine) +4%.

▪️The agreement is valid indefinitely.

Changes can only be made with the permission of the Americans, changes or termination.

▪️The rights of "first night" for all new infrastructure projects and the right to veto the sale of resources to other countries.

▪️Nothing about security guarantees. Not even hints.

🤯That's not all. There is still a soooo much legal text. And it's all like this…. Once again, this is the text that, according to my information (which very much coincides with what was written before and on "Dzerkal Tyzhnia"), was sent to us over the weekend. And it can and should be changed. Otherwise, I can't imagine how it could be ratified by Parliament.

Then almost 8 hours later some in the western press started claiming that they were breaking the story of the deal —but as is often the case this was puffed up and overblown. I have to say, seeing how much of the press operates over the last three years has been a real eye-opener.

What can we say about the deal?