Ahead of US-Ukraine Mineral Deal, All Eyes Turn to Russia

US President and his Ukrainian counterpart. Photo: AFP

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko signed the mineral deal in Washington DC. Secretary Bessent later said the deal would send a clear message to Moscow that the US would pursue a long-term peace deal.

Along with the mineral deal, the Trump administration approved the first $50 million worth of arms exports to Ukraine through direct commercial sales.

Asked whether the US-Ukraine mineral deal would deter Russian President Vladimir Putin in any way, Mr. Trump quickly replied that it was “possible.”

The Trump administration also sees the deal as a means of providing security to Ukraine against future attacks. US officials argue that the presence of US businesses in Ukraine will discourage Russia from attacking the country again.

The White House leader once announced that the US has provided Ukraine with a total of 350 billion USD in aid over the years. However, according to statistics from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy in Germany, Washington's total aid to Kiev is only about 129 billion USD.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Svyrydenko affirmed that this agreement is beneficial for both Kiev and Washington. “The underground minerals remain the property of Ukraine, and Kiev will decide what and where to extract,” Ms. Svyrydenko emphasized.

Relatedly, according to the Ukrainian newspaper The Kyiv Independent on May 1, US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy Keith Kellogg said on April 30 that he did not think Washington would give up peace efforts for Ukraine.

Speaking in a television interview with Fox News, Mr. Kellogg said: “The Ukrainians have said they are willing to give up the territory… not de jure, forever, but de facto because the Russians are actually occupying it… They are willing to accept that, they told me last week.”

“We have 22 specific terms that Ukraine has agreed to. What they want… and what they have is a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire leading to a peace agreement. When I say ‘comprehensive,’ I mean at sea, in the air, and on land, lasting at least 30 days… That could lay the groundwork for a major peace initiative,” Kellogg said.

On the Russian side, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that US President Donald Trump had successfully pressured the Kiev government to use national mineral resources to pay for military aid from the US.

“Trump finally forced the Kiev government to use its mineral resources to pay for US aid. Now a country on the brink of disappearing will have to use its own national wealth to pay for weapons,” Medvedev wrote on Telegram.

Russian President Putin has repeatedly affirmed that he will persist with the special military campaign in Ukraine until victory.

Faced with new developments, especially the US-Ukraine mineral agreement, and instead of freezing as previously announced, the US accepted to export $50 billion worth of weapons to Kiev, public opinion is focusing on Russia's attitude.

The situation is putting pressure on Russia in its relations with the US, the West and the Ukraine issue. After Mr. Trump's announcement, NATO countries have pledged to increase defense spending, to reduce dependence on the US, and proactively deal with threats from Russia.

On April 30, the European Commission (EC) received an official request from 12 European Union (EU) member states to activate the “flexible national fiscal mechanism” within the framework of the Stability and Growth Pact.

In the context of many fluctuations in the regional and global security situation, increasing defense spending is considered by many EU countries as a strategic priority to ensure long-term security and stability for the entire bloc.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/truoc-thoa-thuan-khoang-san-my-ukraine-moi-su-chu-y-do-don-ve-phia-nga-post321356.html