Zelensky surrenders to Trump and 'will sign mineral deal within hours'

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Omaha Steve (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Daily Mail

Donald Trump appears to have won his trade standoff with Volodymyr Zelensky, as the Ukrainian president is set to give in and sign a deal giving the U.S. access to deposits of critical minerals.

The deal was seen as crucial for satisfying Washington's demands for a peace settlement between Ukraine and Russia to end their three-year long war.

It's a staggering surrender from Zelensky, who had said just days earlier: 'I defend Ukraine, I can't sell our country.'

Zelensky said on Friday that officials from his country and the U.S. were working on concluding an economic deal to ensure that the accord worked and was fair to Kyiv.

'We're signing an agreement, hopefully in the next fairly short period of time,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about a deal for Ukraine's minerals.

The Wall Street Journal later cited several people familiar with the matter that the deal is close and will be signed within hours.

It comes after Zelensky angered Trump so much during negotiations that the president threatened to completely pull US funding from Ukraine, Axios reported.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/zelensky-surrenders-to-trump-and-will-sign-mineral-deal-within-hours/ar-AA1zy9UB?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=8be3ba7cef984384a1891ebe9466939f&ei=36

---

I'm sorry I couldn't post more of the story. I had to step outside to throw up.

[yellow dahlia]

1. I too feel sick.

And I don't think Zelenskyy can trust any deal with The Grifter.

[DENVERPOPS]

21. No way

Trump has an exhaustive history of blowing off contracts after signing......Besides, he wouldn't do anything in reality that would piss of Putin...........

Maybe Zelenskyy is just buying time, or maybe Trump will send people over to begin work on the minerals, but in reality will truly be spies for Putin...............

[Evolve Dammit]

34. Same.

[thomski64]

2. Criminal thug Donnie the Schtupf Drumpf

..runs gangland style protection racket on Ukraine.

[Silent Type]

3. Don't like trump bullying Ukraine, but it may be the only way to keep money flowing

at this point. trump can claim another “deal,” yet continue support (weapons and/or in negotiations with Putin). trump created this mess.

[LisaM]

4. If this is true...

Then eff anyone who put a Ukrainian flag in their yard, or a Slava Ukraine sign in their window, and pretended to support Ukraine in any way, but didn't vote for Harris.

[NoMoreRepugs]

5. I am ashamed to be an American.

[msongs]

6. Munich all over. Zelensky will regret selling out nt

[SunSeeker]

10. Zelensky did not sell out. He held out for US security guarantees for Ukraine and looks like he got it.

Now, the deal appears to have come together with the help of retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump's envoy to Ukraine whom the president criticized for being too pro-Zelensky earlier Friday, according to Politico. 

Kellogg and Zelensky met Thursday in Kyiv, where the president said the envoy's work 'restores hope.' 

'I gave instructions to work swiftly and very sensibly,' Zelensky said.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14423219/volodymyr-zelensky-surrenders-donald-trump-sign-mineral-deal-hours.html

Zelensky has been offering his rare earth metals and other resources in exchange for security guarantees for some time, and in earnest since last fall. Trump tried to get them without a security guarantee and Zelensky balked, offering the deal to the EU instead. That's when Kellogg stepped in and worked out the deal to be more protective of Ukraine.

[angrychair]

23. It was definitely forced

The United States are not mercenaries for hire. We should be giving unconditional aid to an ally and friend, not extorting them for their resources we don't even need.
A free and stable Ukraine is in the best interest of the United States and Europe. It's worth it at any cost of coin. No matter how much it cost or how long it takes it's worth every fucking dime.

[Kaleva]

31. Lend Lease wasn't free

[Dan]

26. Can't trust Trump

[Gore1FL]

7. Fuck Lee Greenwood.

Not Proud to be an American
But at least I know I'm Free
To point out Trump is sundowning
And Musk is a NAZI
And I'll Proudly stand up next to you
And say "Fuck MAGA everyway"
I Love the idea of this land
May we live up to it someday.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

8. Sickening is right... fuck tRump!!

[cliffside]

9. U.S. and Ukraine Appear to Move Closer to Deal for Minerals Amid Leaders' Public Feud - NYT

Full article

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/21/world/europe/ukraine-zelensky-minerals-peace.html?unlocked_article_code=1.y04.n-zd.vzDOGsNbJs1W&smid=url-share

... "The idea of trading natural resources for U.S. assistance was first put forward by Ukraine, but Mr. Zelensky balked when the U.S. proposal suggested that Kyiv provide access to profits from 50 percent of the country’s minerals and energy resources. Mr. Zelensky had also objected that the deal included no American security commitments.

Several aides to Mr. Zelensky believe that a new version of the agreement under discussion on Thursday addresses those concerns, and have now advised Mr. Zelensky to sign it, a person familiar with discussions in the Ukrainian government about the U.S. proposal said on Friday. The shift in some Ukrainian officials’ stance on the deal was first reported by Axios...

Mr. Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials concede that European nations cannot fully replace the full range of military and intelligence assistance the United States provides to Ukraine, but they have been encouraged by discussions of forming a European peacekeeping force to enforce a cease-fire.

On Thursday, Mr. Zelensky spoke by phone with five European leaders, from France, the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark and Finland, and with the prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, and on Friday with the president of Poland, Andrzej Duda..."

[SunSeeker]

11. Yup, sounds like it was Trump, not Zelensky, who surrendered.

The headline in the OP article (from the Daily Mail) was misleading.

Zelensky has been offering his rare earth metals and other resources in exchange for security guarantees for some time, and in earnest since last fall. Trump tried to get them without a security guarantee and Zelensky balked, offering the deal to the EU instead. That's when Kellogg stepped in and worked out the deal to be more protective of Ukraine.

[cliffside]

13. Sounds like you are correct :) fingers crossed Zelensky got a decent deal, don't trust trump though. nt

[groundloop]

16. We can't trust tRump, and no matter what the deal was he'll claim it was a great victory for his negotiating prowess

I hope and pray that the US lives up to the agreement, I wouldn't doubt for an instant that tRump will screw over Ukraine the instant he gets a phone call from Putin.

[KewlKat]

12. So how is America assuring security? Does this mean American

Troops will be in Ukraine soon?

[SunSeeker]

15. No. There is no way US troops are going in. And none need to.

If we give Ukraine the equipment and resources they require to push off Russia, there will be no need for US troops.

[DJ Synikus Makisimus]

14. Hopefully it's for deposits in Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts. (n/t)

[SunSeeker]

17. That's where the most valuable deposits appear to be...

[fshrink]

18. What happens when you give your lunch money to the bully? -nt-

[eppur_se_muova]

19. A deal to be reneged on at the first opportunity. nt

[SunSeeker]

20. It appears it will be enforceable under New York law.

'This agreement shall be governed by New York law, without regard to conflict of laws principles,' it stated, going on to say that 'for all future licences, the US will have a right of first refusal for the purchase of exportable minerals'. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14423219/volodymyr-zelensky-surrenders-donald-trump-sign-mineral-deal-hours.html

[Emrys]

25. Trump reportedly had run-of-the-mill legal hacks not familiar with international law draw up the agreement

That might cause problems down the line because the agreement could be judged null and void under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties because of blatant coercion. The US has signed the convention, but Senate has never ratified it, but it says that's because:

The United States considers many of the provisions of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties to constitute customary international law on the law of treaties.

https://2009-2017.state.gov/s/l/treaty/faqs/70139.htm

So the US has considered itself bound by customary international law on these issues.

There's also the matter of the Budapest Memorandum, whose point 3 states:

The United States of America, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom reaffirm their obligation to refrain from economic coercion designed to subordinate Ukraine to their own interest, thereby securing advantages of any kind.

[everyonematters]

36. The thing about it is, that there is no world governing body that enforces international agreements

which is why they get broken, although it is possible that countries could bad together and sanction us. imagine that. This is international extortion.

[Emrys]

37. There's no single body, but there are mechanisms through the UN and ICJ outside of wartime

Before we get there, nobody's talked yet about whether this agreement will need to be ratified by each party's government to be legally binding. I don't know if Trump could expect it to be nodded through the Senate if recent rumbling are to be believed.

If Ukraine would ever breach or abandon the agreement, I think it would be under very different circumstances to now, when it's on the back foot.

[everyonematters]

38. What are they going to do besides give us a tongue lashing and some embarrassment.

Trump won't care.

[Emrys]

40. Trump won't be around for ever

Ukraine and the US could both be very different countries by that time in the future. It's not as if mineral extraction could begin instantly, for a variety of reasons.

And the world will no doubt look different - not necessarily better, of course, but different.

[everyonematters]

42. Yes, Zelenski is probably hoping he can outlast Trump for four years.

[Emrys]

44. I seriously doubt Zelensky will be in power in four years' time,

most likely through his own choice.

I reckon Ukraine can outlast Trump.

[CentralMass]

22. The Mango Malefactor will screw him.

[Shoonra]

24. Extortion on a grand scale

Trump wanted half-a-trillion dollars worth of rare earths and other minerals from Ukraine; no way would Trump be providing half-a-trillion worth of support for Ukraine's defense.

Gone is the old attitude that the US would simply fly to defense of a smaller nation threatened by invasion, especially if the invader was Russia.

Gone is the old attitude that Russia is an aggessor bent on snuffing out the independence and liberty of smaller nations.

Gone is the old attitude that we are the good guys.

[AntiFascist]

27. Google AI says...

Key points about Ukraine's potential for quantum computing minerals:

Rare earths connection:

While not explicitly stated as "quantum computing minerals," some rare earth elements found in Ukraine, like europium, are crucial for developing materials used in quantum technologies like quantum processors and communications.

Critical mineral wealth:

Ukraine's primary "quantum-relevant" minerals include lithium, graphite, and titanium, which are essential for battery technology, advanced electronics, and high-performance materials that could be incorporated into quantum computing components.

Geopolitical considerations:

The current conflict in Ukraine has heightened international interest in securing access to these critical minerals, including potential implications for future quantum computing development.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

28. Not to complain, but ... okay, I'll complain.

The Daily Mail has a well deserved reputation for sensationalizing things. I’d be wary of their account.

I was under the impression that, because of its notoriety for exaggeration, it was not regarded as an acceptable source for LBN.

This event is also being covered by reputable newspapers and news sources, albeit with fewer histrionics than the Daily Mail dumps into the mix.

[wishstar]

30. the slanted Daily Mail has blatant right wing pro- Republican bias and not acceptable

One of the worst sources for LBN for Democrats

[Lovie777]

29. But Russia still can attack Ukraine?..

Without giving back Ukrainian lands?

[Karasu]

32. Giving him Ukraine's resources is only going to embolden him. The stupid Greenland shit, for one, is going to get SO

much worse.

[hlthe2b]

33. Devastating... I don't know what else to say that won't have SS on my doorstep.

[tavernier]

35. Here's the confusing part:

The United States will now get a hefty amount of minerals in exchange for our ongoing support of Ukraine’s sovereignty… which Zelensky offered willingly months ago. At the same time Russia is claiming an end to the war and also claiming victory, officially in two days. Of course every one knows they aren’t the victors since they didn’t achieve their goal of domination, and their military is heavily broken.

But here is the confusing part:
Will Russia truly stop the war now that they have Trump on their side verbalizing his opinion that Zelensky and Ukraine were the aggressors? Will Trump uphold his part to support Ukraine now that he has Zelensky’s mineral promise (excavation of the minerals due to location and land mines will take years, if even legal under international law) if the war continues?

It all seems pretty murky to me. But I guess time will tell, especially since there are so many other variables at play.

[Gary 50]

39. If I was Zelensky I would go for the deal.

And when the smoke clears, at the first opportunity, I would tell Trump to eat shit and die. Maybe do that after the US spent a few billions developing the project. Zelensky would be under no moral obligation to keep his word because "the deal" is blackmail.

[Oopsie Daisy]

41. Zelensky can always break the deal later. I encourage him to do so.

[travelingthrulife]

43. This is so greedy and disgusting.

I am deeply ashamed to be an American.

[Ms. Toad]

45. The Daily Mail is equivalent to the National Enquirer.

It's this being reported by any media with a smidge of credibility?

[iemanja]

48. Not the same, but there is this:

https://democraticunderground.com/10143401573

[DoBW]

46. first sentance, third word // we'll see. it sounds like chest beating to me...........nt

[iemanja]

47. Trump won't keep his work, treaty or contract nonwithstanding

This is a major mistake for Ukraine.

[FakeNoose]

49. My DU friends, it was always going to be a negotiated settlement

There was no other possible solution.

I just REALLY wish that Joe Biden and Tony Blinken could have made it happen last summer or last fall. The terms would have been more advantageous for Ukraine.

But of course that was not to be .... because Putin already KNEW that CHUMP would be elected.

We can still help Ukraine recover from this disaster in many ways, through private charities and support groups.

[Omaha Steve]

50. AFTER a review by forum hosts LOCKING

LOCKING for Source: Daily Mail.

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