The minerals deal will not guarantee Ukraine. What the media is writing

Ukraine and the United States are close to signing an agreement on the supply of Ukrainian rare earth metals and other resources, despite the fact that they do not specify security guarantees from the American side. The foreign press drew attention to the softening of rhetoric about the deal between the heads of the two states, Donald Trump and Vladimir Zelensky, after mutual accusations voiced by them last week. What the foreign media write about the prospects of an agreement between the countries is in the Izvestia digest.

Associated Press: the agreement between the United States and Ukraine still does not guarantee security

Ukraine and the United States have set the framework for an economic deal that will include access to rare earth metals, Ukrainian officials said on condition of anonymity. Kiev hopes that the signing of the agreement will ensure a continuous flow of US military support, which Ukraine urgently needs. Excluded from the draft is the Trump administration's proposal to provide $500 billion in profits from Ukrainian rare earth minerals to the United States as compensation for assistance to Kiev.

Instead, the United States and Ukraine will jointly own the fund, and Ukraine will contribute 50% of revenues from government resources, including minerals, oil and gas, in the future. One official said that the deal had improved investment conditions, while another said that Kiev had achieved favorable amendments and regarded the result as "positive"

But the deal does not include security guarantees — the presidents will discuss them personally at a meeting that may take place on Friday, February 28. A plan for Zelensky's trip to Washington is currently being developed. Progress in the talks was made after Trump and Zelensky exchanged harsh statements last week about their differences on the issue.

Bloomberg: the minerals deal will have a "pronounced political" character

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is expected to recommend signing the agreement as early as Wednesday, February 26, and Zelensky plans to travel to the United States on Friday to consolidate the agreement. The latest version of the deal still does not contain specific security guarantees, although Ukraine considers it as a starting point for such an opportunity. American officials said that Ukraine's economic ties with the United States would actually provide a security shield.

The deal could also give Trump an opportunity to encourage his supporters to continue supporting Ukraine, especially if Washington needs Congress to approve additional aid to Ukraine if negotiations with Russia continue to drag on. Ukraine remains dependent on American and European allies for weapons and ammunition

The deal will allow Trump to present it as a "political victory" for the White House, while Zelensky will be able to reduce recent tensions with the United States. Despite the reports, there are no large reserves of rare earth metals in Ukraine that would be internationally recognized. Even if there are economically profitable deposits in the country, the West still has to overcome a more serious problem. Most countries are forced to send extracted rare earth metals for processing to China, as it dominates the processing of these materials.

The Guardian: Zelensky may visit the White House to sign the agreement

The deal between Ukraine and the United States is based on the ownership of a joint fund for the development of Ukraine's mineral resources, with certain reservations regarding resources that already replenish the state budget. This option is more beneficial for Ukraine than the original deal proposed by Washington, but it still does not include the long-term security guarantees that Kiev wanted.

When asked what Ukraine would receive under the deal, Trump replied: "350 billion dollars, military equipment and the right to continue fighting."

Neither the U.S. government nor the government of Ukraine responded to a request for comment on the terms of the deal. The initial US proposal, which included full control over the fund, which would receive revenues from natural resource extraction, caused outrage in Ukraine and among allies in Europe.

The Guardian: why does Trump need Ukrainian minerals?

Critically important minerals are metals and raw materials necessary for the production of high-tech products, especially those related to the transition to green energy, as well as consumer electronics, artificial intelligence infrastructure and weapons. The excitement around them arose because of the need to combat climate change and abandon fossil fuels.

Despite their name, most rare earth elements are not particularly rare, but their extraction and purification are incredibly complex and extremely destructive to the environment, which means that production is concentrated in very few places, mainly in China

According to an article by Anna Liventseva, Chairman of the Association of Geologists of Ukraine, about 5% of the world's mineral resources are concentrated in the country. Since Russia controls about one fifth of Ukraine's territory, most of these reserves have been lost. The reason Trump is seeking to obtain critically important minerals: China. Due to the trade war unleashed by the imposition of tariffs on Chinese goods, US access to critically important minerals is under threat.

"European Truth": Landsbergis urges not to sign agreements even under Trump's blackmail

Former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis is one of the most pro-Ukrainian politicians, not only because of his rhetoric, but also because of his work on "punching" weapons for Ukraine and permits for their use, in particular from the United States.

Moreover, he was still very skeptical about the policy of the previous American administration towards the conflict in Ukraine, reproaching [Joe] Biden's team for indecision and willingness to make concessions. And this further increases the weight of his assessments of the actions of the Trump administration

In an interview with the publication, Landsbergis said that Ukraine is part of the West, and therefore in the Ukrainian conflict "it is the West that is fighting against Russia." In a situation where the United States is more focused on Russia than on Europe, Kiev should continue to fight and not give any obligations to the United States, either under the mineral resources deal or under political agreements. He urges Ukrainians to prepare for more difficult times, because if Ukraine and Europe reject Trump's peace agreement," [Russian President Vladimir] Putin will escalate." The Lithuanian politician also allowed a reduction in American aid "both for Ukraine and for Europe as a whole."