Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko deserve genuine praise for negotiating an agreement that advances the interests of both countries.
I trust your expertise. Russia has to be defeated and the threat of endless war against the former Soviet Union democracies must end. Ukraine will emerge stronger.
I think the most important aspect of this agreement is not economic, but political. You're right, it may take years if not decades for the mines to produce effectively. However, what the agreement does do is to give the United States a stake in the peace thereafter, a guarantee, if you will, that the US will not leave the UKR high and dry, but has a vested direct economic interest in a free and stable Ukraine.
In this respect, it is of great political significance, as it signals to Russia that its continued operations now directly affect American interests, and this is something Putin and his eventual successors cannot ignore.
Thanks for your perspective. Do we know what Putin thinks of this deal, especially considering that many of the mineral-rich areas are in Russian-controlled areas of the east? Should we worry that Putin and Trump are setting up business deals on their own for these areas?
Others have suggested the Sec. Of Treasury may be one bright spot in the Trump stable of reprehensibles. Will be nice if true. But his initial capitulation to Musk suggests otherwise. Can we trust any of them?
I hold you in the highest regard, but I fail to see this mineral deal is so great for Ukraine. It was just revealed today that our dork Secretary of Defense withheld weapons for Ukraine without the approval of Trump back on January 30.
And as you pointed out, while Trump has continued to approve weapons transfers to Ukraine that were included in the bipartisan legislation signed by President Biden last year, he has not yet requested any more weapons for Ukraine after this package expires.
In fact, he has not yet approved a sale of weapons to Ukraine where Ukraine would purchase the weapons directly from our arms manufacturers that would not cost the American taxpayers a penny.
Thanks for this explanation of the agreement which is certainly better than Trump’s earlier proposal that this would be a form of payback. Obviously the Russians will have to vacate the area they currently occupy if reconstruction is to take place in the eastern area of Ukraine supported by US investment. Money talks so the Russians will be asking “what’s in it for us?”.
Thank you for explaining that to us.
I trust your expertise. Russia has to be defeated and the threat of endless war against the former Soviet Union democracies must end. Ukraine will emerge stronger.
I think the most important aspect of this agreement is not economic, but political. You're right, it may take years if not decades for the mines to produce effectively. However, what the agreement does do is to give the United States a stake in the peace thereafter, a guarantee, if you will, that the US will not leave the UKR high and dry, but has a vested direct economic interest in a free and stable Ukraine.
In this respect, it is of great political significance, as it signals to Russia that its continued operations now directly affect American interests, and this is something Putin and his eventual successors cannot ignore.
Thanks for your perspective. Do we know what Putin thinks of this deal, especially considering that many of the mineral-rich areas are in Russian-controlled areas of the east? Should we worry that Putin and Trump are setting up business deals on their own for these areas?
Others have suggested the Sec. Of Treasury may be one bright spot in the Trump stable of reprehensibles. Will be nice if true. But his initial capitulation to Musk suggests otherwise. Can we trust any of them?
Ambassador McFaul,
I hold you in the highest regard, but I fail to see this mineral deal is so great for Ukraine. It was just revealed today that our dork Secretary of Defense withheld weapons for Ukraine without the approval of Trump back on January 30.
And as you pointed out, while Trump has continued to approve weapons transfers to Ukraine that were included in the bipartisan legislation signed by President Biden last year, he has not yet requested any more weapons for Ukraine after this package expires.
In fact, he has not yet approved a sale of weapons to Ukraine where Ukraine would purchase the weapons directly from our arms manufacturers that would not cost the American taxpayers a penny.
Thank you. Fingers were crossed. And staying crossed. I’m very hopeful.
Thanks for this explanation of the agreement which is certainly better than Trump’s earlier proposal that this would be a form of payback. Obviously the Russians will have to vacate the area they currently occupy if reconstruction is to take place in the eastern area of Ukraine supported by US investment. Money talks so the Russians will be asking “what’s in it for us?”.