US-Ukraine Minerals Deal ‘Isn’t Worth the Paper it’s Printed On’ – Expert
A view of an ilmenite open pit mine in a canyon in the central region of Kirovohrad, Ukraine, Feb. 12, 2025. 
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko signed a minerals deal in Washington on April 30 that presupposes establishing a joint Reconstruction Investment Fund with a 50/50 distribution of management and contributions between the parties. The new minerals deal is unlikely to yield any payoff for Ukraine, Matthew Crosston, professor of national security and director of academic transformation at Bowie State University, told Sputnik.“Zelensky will clearly hope it means a return to his normal where America continues to endlessly finance the Ukrainian side,” he said.
Shifting Narrative
US president Donald Trump will point to the agreement as evidence that he no longer lets the US be seen as the sole party responsible for allowing Ukraine to continue the conflict “at no expense and with no costs,” noted the pundit.
But Here’s the Catch
Almost three-quarters of Ukraine’s mineral reserves are in Russian-controlled areas, raising serious doubts about the deal’s viability and long-term payoff – a key detail Western media prefers to ignore.
Political Payoff
If framed in terms of what America gains in return for its support of Ukraine, there may be some political benefit – especially among conservative circles in the US, Crosston notes.AnalysisGeopolitical ‘Royal Flush’ or Empty Promises? What’s Behind Trump’s Minerals Deal With ZelenskyYesterday, 16:59 GMT