US and Ukraine sign minerals deal
Following tough negotiations, Ukraine and the US have signed a natural resources deal. Hailed by both sides as a "historic" agreement, it provides for the creation of a joint investment fund which will initially generate funds for the country's reconstruction. The media assess the deal primarily in terms of its potential to boost Ukraine's security and sovereignty.
The country has not been sold off
Der Standard welcomes the agreement:
“The deal that has now been reached - which splits future revenues from yet-to-be-exploited Ukrainian raw materials fifty-fifty, with the US share being used to help finance Ukraine's reconstruction - means that Ukrainian soil will not be sold off. ... In the short term the deal is an opportunity to keep Trump happy, at least until he loses patience with Putin. In the medium to long term it offers the chance to keep Washington's interest in Ukraine at a high level until, hopefully, a more rational player succeeds Trump. Renegotiation or new talks could then take place once Trump - and hopefully Putin - are nothing more than bad history.”
Kyiv has prevailed
European Pravda expresses relief:
“Since the beginning of February the Trump administration has insisted that all the military and financial support that the US has provided to its Ukrainian partners as non-repayable aid since the start of the war be repaid in the form of Ukrainian natural resources. ... For Ukraine this was absolutely unacceptable - both for financial reasons and because it would set a precedent for analogous demands from other supporters of the Ukrainian army. In the end the US gave in. And, importantly, this concession was accepted by Trump himself - he has changed his rhetoric and no longer speaks of 'debt' but of 'potential US profits' from investments in Ukraine.”
Don't put too much stock in this
The Guardian doesn't believe the deal marks a real turning point:
“The presence of American citizens and businesses is not inherently protective: they were already in Ukraine when Vladimir Putin's tanks rolled across the border in 2022. The agreement certainly does not show that Mr Trump wants to prolong US military aid still less offer a security backstop to a European presence. It does not signal that he is turning his back on Mr Putin, even if he is currently voicing irritation with him. And it does not mean that a bigger economic deal with Russia may not be in the pipeline.”
Key element missing
The deal doesn't contain any security guarantees for Ukraine, Handelsblatt criticises:
“Trump's administration keeps stressing that the presence of US companies and their personnel in the country alone can prevent Russian attacks. But this is a fallacy: US companies are already in Ukraine today. On top of that there's all the men who are directly confronting Russia's troops on the front line alongside Ukrainian soldiers, as well as those who have already fallen. Russia clearly has no qualms about killing US citizens in Ukraine.”
Keeping the Americans on side
In a Telegram post republished by Echo, journalist Farida Rustamova sees the deal as a partial victory for Ukraine in the negotiation process:
“Ukraine seized the initiative and was able to 'sell' something to businessman Trump by creating a situation in which he has a personal interest in ending the war on its territory. It's also important for Trump to be able to present the public with something substantial in terms of resolving the Russian-Ukrainian conflict on the 100th day of his presidency. ... And there is no more talk of withdrawing from the negotiation process: US Vice President Vance said that the Americans would aim to bring the two sides together in the next 100 days.”
The beginning of a wonderful friendship?
Echo24 is thrilled:
“This is probably the best deal that could have been achieved. It doesn't foresee any repayment of the US aid already provided. A fund will be set up in which both sides have an equal share. ... All profits in the first ten years will be invested in the reconstruction of Ukraine. ... And American contributions to the fund could also take the form of military aid, opening up the possibility of continued US support. ... The deal is a diplomatic victory for both sides. Kyiv has shown that it is capable of compromise and has won sympathy in Washington, while Trump can present it as proof of his negotiating skills. This could be the beginning of a wonderful friendship.”