ART OF THE DEAL: Zelenskyy Finally Agrees To Terms On Minerals Agreement

Remember that whole debacle where Zelensky got unceremonious tossed from the Oval office for acting like a tool? Critics called it a failure. But in hindsight, ‘aggressive negotiations’ may be more accurate.

But enough obscure Star Wars references. What happened with the mining deal?

Here’s

Thanks to @POTUS @realDonaldTrump’s tireless efforts to secure a lasting peace, I am glad to announce the signing of today’s historic economic partnership agreement between the United States and Ukraine establishing the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund to help… pic.twitter.com/N1jPa35DYh

— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) April 30, 2025

“>an explanation from the guy who signed it, Treasury Sec Bessent.

Thanks to @POTUS @realDonaldTrump’s tireless efforts to secure a lasting peace, I am glad to announce the signing of today’s historic economic partnership agreement between the United States and Ukraine establishing the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund to help… pic.twitter.com/N1jPa35DYh

— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) April 30, 2025

The big-picture backdrop

The big-picture version of the idea, was often described as moving toward a peaceful solution in which America would have a non-military interest in Ukraine with enough significance that it could justify American claims that there was a now genuine foreign policy stake in the future of regional relations, but — importantly — NOT the kind of military deterrant investment that would signal a further escalation of Western military operations in the region.

For an American president to tell Russia that an attack on a civilian project in Ukraine would be treated as an act of military aggression against American interests would carry very different leverage points in future conflict resolution than, say, stationing the US navy in striking range from, say, Moscow or Russia’s warm-water ports.

Trump, you must remember, wants to be remembered as a peace-time President. Like Churchill who said that meeting jaw-to-jaw is better than war, Trump prefers negotiating economic solutions (his area of expertise) to military ones that are so often, in hindsight, little more than a massive waste of life, wealth, and a whole spectrum of human potential.

The deal that was inked

As of yesterday, the deal Zelenskyy had been prepared to sign in that original Oval Office meeting has been sorted out. And this time, with Putin talking big about his grand expansion plans, he put pen to paper.

The deal aims to provide an economic incentive for the US to continue to invest in Ukraine’s defence and reconstruction – as well as to address Washington’s concerns over the amount of aid it has already contributed.

Ukraine is believed to have vast reserves of critical minerals like graphite, titanium and lithium. They are highly sought after because of their use in renewable energy, military technology and infrastructure.
[…] The deal will also see the establishment of an investment fund to spur Ukraine’s economic recovery from the war.

According to the statement from the US Treasury on Wednesday afternoon, the newly created US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund recognises the “significant financial and material support” the US has given Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.

The US treasury secretary said in a video statement that the deal would help “unlock Ukraine’s growth assets”.

The language of the announcement shows much more solidarity with Ukraine than is usual for the Trump administration.

It refers to “Russia’s full scale invasion” and adds that “no state or person who financed or supplied the Russian war machine will be allowed to benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine”. — BBC

This helps address concerns on both sides of the Atlantic.

On the US side, by some estimates we’ve poured some $350B into a war effort that has been going nowhere and has no end in sight. With China leverage near-monopolies on critical minerals, this helps break up the hammerlock they have on certain important minerals, say, lithium and titanium.

On the Ukranian side, this gives them the corporate investment they would not otherwise have to open up access to these industries and give Ukraine the use of resources that are sitting unused under their feet, resource profits that the people of Ukraine actually get to participate in.

This, obviously, is a good deal for Ukraine.

And there’s another, less obvious benefit.

If the money needed to rebuild Ukraine can be acquired the old-fashioned way — by harnessing an economic engine — they won’t need any handouts from the West to put the pieces back together.

Think of it as a self-funding Marshall Plan that actually benefits both sides.

It’s almost like having an accomplished businessman at the helm — whose signature book is called ‘Art of the Deal’ — at a moment like this might be a good thing.

Go figure.