US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent visited Kyiv to negotiate a minerals deal that could provide Ukraine with security guarantees in exchange for access to rare earth minerals. This move comes as President Zelensky seeks to secure US backing in the ongoing war against Russia.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that a minerals agreement between Kyiv and Washington would provide Ukraine with a post-war 'security shield', and President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed hope for an agreement within days. Bessent, the first cabinet-level official from President Donald Trump 's administration to visit Kyiv, made these comments following Zelensky's announcement that he was prepared to negotiate a deal that would open up mineral resources to US investment.
This move comes as Zelensky seeks the backing of the US president in the ongoing war against Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during a meeting with US Treasury Secretary (unseen) in Kyiv, discussed a rare-minerals-for-security deal. Trump, who desires a swift resolution to the war but has remained ambiguous about continuing vital military aid to Kyiv, has indicated a desire for $US500 billion ($796 billion) in rare earth minerals from Ukraine and emphasized that Washington's support needs to be 'secured'. He explained to Fox News that he requires rare minerals, critical for high-tech products, in exchange for American military aid. The concept is said to have originated from Ukraine itself, aiming to appeal to Trump's business-centric approach. Zelensky informed reporters that the US had presented Ukraine with a preliminary agreement draft, which Kyiv would now analyze, and expressed hope for finalizing the deal at the Munich Security Conference from February 14-16. 'We had a productive, constructive conversation. For me, the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine is very important, and we talked about minerals in general,' said Zelensky, who is anticipated to meet US Vice President J.D. Vance in Munich. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent engaged in conversation with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky as he presented a draft agreement on natural resources to Ukraine in Kyiv. Bessent asserted that the minerals deal is part of a 'larger peace deal that Trump has in mind,' adding that his first visit to Ukraine demonstrates that the war is a top priority for the Trump administration. 'By increasing our economic commitment through a partnership with the government and people of Ukraine, that will provide – once this conflict is over – it will provide a long-term security shield for all Ukrainians,' stated Bessent. While specific details remain unclear, Ukrainians are closely observing how the Trump team is interacting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Shortly after the joint news conference concluded, Trump posted on social media that he had a conversation with Zelensky. Zelensky has consistently emphasized throughout the war that Ukraine requires its Western allies to provide security guarantees that would prevent Russia from exploiting any ceasefire to regroup and launch another invasion. Zelensky declared at the news conference that he could only discuss the topic of US security guarantees for Ukraine directly with Trump. Bessent's visit occurred hours after Kyiv residents were awakened by a pre-dawn Russian ballistic missile strike that resulted in one fatality in the city. On Wednesday, natural gas production facilities owned by Ukraine's state-run energy company Naftogaz were damaged in a Russian attack on the central Poltava region, prompting Ukraine to request its allies to increase the supply of imported gas. Russia, which has previously concentrated its missile and drone attacks on the Ukrainian electricity sector, has recently intensified attacks on Ukrainian gas storage facilities and production fields. A Russian attack on a residential building in Poltava killed at least seven people, including three children. Workers lowered the coffins of Kateryna Zapishnya, 38, Diana Zapishnya, 12, Danyil Zapishnyi, 8, and Serhii Zapishnyi, 40, into graves, who were killed on February 1 by a Russian strike on a residential building in Poltava, Ukraine. Ukraine's underground gas storage facilities are situated in the western part of the country, while the primary production capacity is located in the eastern frontline Kharkiv region, as well as in the Poltava region. The prospective minerals deal highlights how Ukraine has swiftly adjusted its foreign policy approach to align with the transactional worldview espoused by the new occupant of the White House, Ukraine's most crucial wartime ally. Trump's decision to send his Treasury secretary before any other official was notable in a wartime capital that has experienced a constant flow of Western security, defense, and political officials over almost three years of conflict. Bessent has stated his support for escalating sanctions on Russia's oil sector, a measure initiated by the Biden administration shortly before leaving office. On Monday, Russia's representative for relations with the US declared that all of Putin's conditions must be fully met before the war in Ukraine could conclude. These conditions include Ukraine abandoning its NATO aspirations and withdrawing its troops from the entirety of the territory of four Ukrainian regions claimed and largely controlled by Russia, something Kyiv views as capitulation
Ukraine US Donald Trump Volodymyr Zelensky Minerals Security Guarantees Russia War Diplomacy
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