Medvedev claims Trump compelled Ukraine to sell itself for assistance
(MENAFN) Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has claimed that US President Donald Trump has forced Ukraine to trade its mineral wealth for continued military aid. His remarks come after the US and Ukraine signed an agreement on the joint extraction of Ukrainian natural resources on Wednesday, following months of contentious negotiations. Trump has promoted the deal as a way to recover the estimated $350 billion that the US has provided in support of Ukraine amid its conflict with Russia.
The agreement does not include the security guarantees that Ukraine had previously insisted on, instead focusing on future US aid, rather than reimbursing past assistance to Ukraine. Medvedev, who now serves as the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, criticized the deal in a Telegram post, stating that “Trump has finally forced the Kiev regime to pay for American aid with minerals.” He further claimed that Ukraine would now have to use its national resources to secure military supplies.
Although the full text of the agreement has not been made public, it is understood to center around a joint reconstruction investment fund, with Ukraine contributing half of the revenue from new resource extraction licenses to the fund. However, analysts note that Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals, which are in high demand for high-tech manufacturing, remain largely untapped and require significant investment to mine. Additionally, much of Ukraine's resource wealth, particularly in the Donbass region, is now under Russian control.
Forbes had previously estimated Ukraine’s mineral wealth at around $15 trillion, with nearly half of it located in areas now controlled by Russia's Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
