Ukrainian officials were told not to sign an agreement with the U.S. on rare earth minerals because the document focused on U.S. interests

Summary

Ukrainian officials were advised not to sign a U.S. proposal on accessing rare earth minerals, as it prioritized U.S. interests and lacked security guarantees for Ukraine, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The document, presented by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bassent during a Kyiv visit, was intended as compensation for U.S. aid.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Zelenskyy stressed any agreement must ensure both financial benefits and security for Ukraine amid ongoing Russian aggression, and Ukraine is preparing a counter proposal.

  • ArghblargEnglish
    132·
    1 month ago

    Give Ukraine back some nukes under their own control.

      • Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        4·
        1 month ago

        In between the end of the Soviet Union and them signing the Budapest Memorandum and giving the nukes from the ex-Soviet Union that were in their territory to Russia, there was definitelly a period during which the sovereign nation of Ukraine had nukes under their control.

      • ArghblargEnglish
        1·
        1 month ago

        OK, but regardless of who supplies them, if Ukraine had a few under their own control, for better or worse it would give them a deterrent they never should have been swindled into letting go of. Sucks, but it seems any nation that doesn’t have nukes is at an extreme disadvantage in defending its sovereignty.

        In fact, I think it would be worth it to put a few nukes in every NATO nation bordering Russia or its smaller, unprotected ex-satellites. Putin will grandstand about it but is he really going to start WWIII on it? If he was willing to do so, he already would have when other nations began sending conventional military aid to Ukraine. His bluff needs to be called and he needs to be forced to back down.

          • ArghblargEnglish
            32·
            1 month ago

            I know how dangerous it sounds. But every time Russia moves the line,the rest of the world is supposed to fall back? Moving arms into NATO countries sends a message, but it isn’t starting a war. Putin’s the one who actually invaded another country. Merely reinforcing defences is NOT starting the war. He started it and doesn’t want to die in a nuclear war any more than we do. So he’d complain bitterly but wouldn’t DARE make a move against it. Why hasn’t he already just nuked Ukraine (even ‘just a few’ tactical nukes?) if he believed he could ever survive doing so?