KYIV – It's close to closing US rights to Ukrainian rare earth minerals on Friday night, which is thought to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars, but President Trump's special envoy will continue to spend his three days. It hadn't been confirmed by the time we concluded. A source familiar with visiting and negotiations to a war-torn country was confirmed in the mail.
Retired General Keith Kellogg, 80, is believed to be one of the few Trump administration officials who still sympathize with Zelensky, and has been two days without sealing off the deals the White House pushed hard. The trip has begun to return to the US, but it is a government-level official of Ukrainian President Voldy Mirzelensky, which considers it a shakedown.
A spokesman for Zelensky's office argued the post, “Every transaction must be mutually beneficial.”
But at the White House, Trump was sure he would reach understanding.
“We hope we can sign the contract in the next fairly short period and guarantee that we will win $400 billion or $500 billion,” the president mistakenly said, “We're going to have it for $300 billion. I'm in it.”
“It's a big deal, but they want it, and it keeps us in that country and they're very happy about it,” Trump later added. “We're getting the money back, which should have been signed before we went in. [former President Joe] Biden. ”
A few hours ago, Kellogg had been broken from the rest of the administration praised Zelensky.
“A long, intense day with a senior Ukrainian leader,” Kellogg wrote in his personal X account following the meeting on Thursday. “Broad and positive discussion @zelenskyyuathe battle and brave leadership of a nation at war and his talented national security team. ”
Kellogg was last published to meet Ukrainian leaders in person for a foreseeable future after Treasury Secretary Scott Becent failed to secure a similar transaction that would not include Ukraine's security guarantees. He was an official in the White House.
“It sounds like there have been some positive moves in negotiations over the past few days, but I think it's likely that both sides will reach a contract,” said John, director of the programme for Democracy Russia. Hardy's foundation told the Post.
“In principle, the cooperation of the US Ukraine on Ukrainian natural resources, including its important minerals, is a great idea. But any agreement should be mutually beneficial.”
Some Ukrainians on Friday realized that Trump was working through pressure tactics and that they needed to invest in Ukraine to see the value of Zelensky protecting it from Russian invasions. He said he should know what he's dealing with.
“I have been saying for a long time that international business has been permitted in Crimea and have said it on behalf of the president. [palaces] The Ukrainian soldier Dennis Jaroslavsky had hotels in Türkiye and America. “In each country, the involvement of international companies has always contributed to economic development.”
“US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said he has discussed the issue of minerals with Zelensky and proposed establishing a joint venture with Ukraine. Perhaps these terms will be beneficial to both parties.”
Zelensky's predecessor, former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko, put his rival aside on Friday, saying, “What it takes to overcome his relationship with his main strategic partner, what he needs to do with the United States.” He called for speeches for his rivals to do so.
“They remain important allies for us to save the nation. And we risk losing this partnership. And this will greatly complicate Ukraine's position in the war with Russia. It would be,” he wrote. “…this argument [with Trump] No matter how eloquent the argument is, it is not in favor of Ukraine. ”
Poroshenko, who is likely to run to Zelensky in Ukraine's next presidential election, said the leader should bite his tongue rather than publicly respond to every verbal punch Trump threw at him.
“An argument with Trump requires diplomatic skills, patience and silence, and it's enough to not reflect all of his statements,” he said. “I've been working with him for three years and I know what I'm talking about.”
“The authorities need to tackle the mistakes and understand them [who failed] Building relationships with the new American administration. Instead of building bridges, who burned them? Currently, government issues in communication with Washington are becoming a problem for our entire country. ”
However, other Ukrainians told the Post they felt that Zelensky should not surrender to Trump.
Roman Moticak, founder and political analyst of Ukraine's Financial Forum, told Post that it is the US president who will turn the course back, not Zelensky.
“In the case of the situation [described] Right, it's a very narrow and almost childish approach. This is going to backfire,” he said. “If this administration promotes this 'trade,' it will be considered plunder in future generations. ”
“…If the United States wants to make Ukrainians an enemy of generations, the United States will advance Ukrainians who raise eyebrows at this “deal.” ”
Ukrainians have ample historic reasons to be concerned about such an arrangement with the United States. In 1994, then-Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk signed the Budapest Memorandum on Security Guarantees under US and UK orders.
The arrangement determined that Kiev would abandon nuclear weapons in exchange for a promise that Russia, the US and the UK would be banned from threatening or using military or economic coercion against Ukraine. united nations. “
In 2014, Moscow first invaded Ukraine and replied at the end of the contract when it first annexed Crimea before launching a full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022.
“If Trump is Obama/Biden 2.0, then Zelensky is not Crabchuk 2.0,” Motchuck said. “Crafchuk [was] Browbeat by the US to sign [the] Budapest Memorandum. ”
Local businessman Volodymyr Pimienov said he wanted Trump supporters to understand “how much” [nuclear] A weapon given to the signatories of the Budapest Memorandum. ”
“It's over $500 billion,” he said. “We gave up everything for peace, but those who agreed to do so in the wrong direction.”
A Ukrainian policy expert currently serving the Ukrainian military suggested that the White House should clarify the full terms of the deal to the public in order to try to support it.
“I think Zelensky is afraid of his chances of signing an unpopular thing that minimizes his chances of reelection,” the person who wanted to remain anonymous told the Post. “He knows that his enemies will definitely use it in a campaign that denies him as a traitor.”
“The sooner the White House unveils terms of the contract, the better. If the terms are fair enough, public opinion in Ukrainian will regain the deal.”
