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Draft US-Ukraine rare earth minerals deal not one President Zelensky would accept, source says
CNN ^ | Nick Paton Walsh and Victoria Butenko

Posted on 02/22/2025 2:23:04 PM PST by Kazan

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It looks like Zelensky, once again, is weaseling his way out of deal for rare earth minerals.

Hopefully, he'll be banished to France soon.

1 posted on 02/22/2025 2:23:04 PM PST by Kazan
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To: Kazan

He doesn’t make all the decisions for the Ukraine, does he?


2 posted on 02/22/2025 2:25:34 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: Kazan

Screw the little Zero. He’s stolen enough from America. He needs to get lost or go to jail.


3 posted on 02/22/2025 2:25:43 PM PST by FlingWingFlyer (Cartel Human Smuggling Into America IS NOT Immigration. It's a crime.)
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To: Kazan

Just cut the little grifter completely off and walk away, then. It’s a European problem. Let the Euros deal with the little megalomaniac.


4 posted on 02/22/2025 2:27:44 PM PST by Allegra (It’s MAGA time! )
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To: Kazan

The Deal did contain enough corruption to go around....


5 posted on 02/22/2025 2:30:29 PM PST by Paladin2
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To: Kazan

Zelenskyy longs for the days he could simply say “GIBS me MO’ BILLIONS” and they would appear (minus 10%, of course).


6 posted on 02/22/2025 2:30:41 PM PST by House Atreides (I’m now ULTRA-MAGA-PRO-MAX)
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To: Kazan

Sorry to repeat myself, but:

From what I have read, these “rare earth minerals” located in Ukraine are both questionable and mostly commercially unviable. These rare minerals are sprinkled all over the planet, but only in certain locations can they be extracted at a commercially viable cost.

It appears that many of the alleged deposits in Ukraine either may not exist (as the only “proof” of their existence is highly questionable old Soviet surveys) or are not at all commercially viable (cost of extraction and processing far exceeds their value) or not accessible via current technology.

In case anyone else has wondered, as I did, why all these mineral riches ostensibly lying around Ukraine for the taking have never been tapped in the past 30+ years, the answers appear to be: (1) not commercially viable, (2) unproven, other than aforementioned questionable Soviet-era surveys, and (3) foreign investors attempting to investigate mining potential and invest must first run a gauntlet of outstretched palms wanting greasing with hefty bribes through the corrupt Ukrainian government bureaucracy.

Here are a few links:

https://www.spglobal.com/market-intelligence/en/news-insights/articles/2025/2/ukraine-rare-earths-potential-relies-on-soviet-assessments-may-not-be-viable-87318842

https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-titanium-minerals-us-deal-d99cf34936b9301c4fcee038fc6d9656

https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/what-are-ukraines-rare-earths-why-does-trump-want-them-2025-02-05/

So, is Trump stupid enough to buy a pig in A poke? I doubt it — he’s a smart businessman. I wondered at first if this was a way to call Zelensky’s bluff (after all, Zelensky first brought up the idea of trading these minerals for support and wanting to make a deal”). Or a way to force Zelensky to refuse the deal so that we could wash our hands of him.

I saw a recent video of Trump answering questions from the press aboard Air Force One where he said (sorry I can’t remember which) either “Who knows how much they’re worth anyway?” or “who knows if they are worth anything?”. So of course he knows how questionable this deal is.

Interesting times!


7 posted on 02/22/2025 2:33:02 PM PST by CatHerd (Whoever said "all's fair in love and war" probably never participated in either.)
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To: Kazan

Z. shouldn’t have picked a fight he couldn’t win against a much larger opponent who could take it all if they wanted. Anyone touting that the deal is too burdensome should consider what any other deals are going to be. Even if they appear to cost less, They won’t be able to deter/protect and develop like the US. Pretty sure any future deals with the US won’t be this good again. Z doesn’t really appreciate his situation.


8 posted on 02/22/2025 2:36:16 PM PST by 1malumprohibitum (I’m )
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To: Kazan

I do not get it. I have been reading he IS going to sign and then that he is NOT going to sign. No wonder he cannot win. He isn’t sure he IS in a war.

Let’s send him billions more s/o


9 posted on 02/22/2025 2:36:30 PM PST by Singermom
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To: Kazan

Seems like it’s time for Trump and Putin to meet and determine what Z-man “will accept”.


10 posted on 02/22/2025 2:36:51 PM PST by bigbob (Yes. We ARE going back!)
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To: Kazan

While we are trying to root out deep systemic corruption in Washington DC, AND Ukraine is a smashed neonazi dictatorship, it would be sheer folly for America to enter into a permanent business relationship with Ukraine.

This would forever entangle the DC kleptocrat class with Ukraine.

I smell Trump’s recent Blackrock friends at the center of this deal.


11 posted on 02/22/2025 2:38:23 PM PST by DesertRhino (2016 Star Wars, 2020 The Empire Strikes Back, 2025... RETURN OF THE JEDI...)
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To: FlingWingFlyer

For sure I’ve my fill of little Zeke. Unless someone else steps up in Ukraine there is going to be more unnecessary deaths and destruction. Fortunately we have someone looking out for our interests in this mess.


12 posted on 02/22/2025 2:39:12 PM PST by gibsonguy
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To: Kazan

What a clueless article. The rare earths in Ukraine are deep and hard to get to. Oh ya, the Russian army also controls and has troops on them. Good luck mining, send Zelinski with a shovel so we can see how it’s done. The problem will be solved. He’s going to be offed by someone, it will be a mystery that will never be solved. I’ll put a grand on that!


13 posted on 02/22/2025 2:39:43 PM PST by foundedonpurpose (Praise Hashem, for his restoration of all things! )
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To: CatHerd

The Ukraine doesn’t seem to be desert-like enough to have concentrated deposits.


14 posted on 02/22/2025 2:40:17 PM PST by Paladin2
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To: Kazan

Z can sucky-sucky. Give us our money, bit&$!!!


15 posted on 02/22/2025 2:41:53 PM PST by Strict9
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To: FlingWingFlyer

“ He’s stolen enough from America.”

He didn’t steal squat. The Deep State used Z man to wash US taxpayer money and he took a cut. This was a planned war and Russian oligarchs were in on it too. That’s why so many of them “jumped” to their deaths.


16 posted on 02/22/2025 2:42:16 PM PST by EQAndyBuzz (Privatize the administrative state!)
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To: Kazan

The Dems called him and told him to not accept any deal that will make Trump look good..Trump should say “See, this is why I cant trust the weasel, he says he will accept the deal one day and backs out the next day..so screw him, Ukraine and Russia can fight on but not ONE CENT OF OUR MONEY and NO WEAPONS either see how they like them apples”


17 posted on 02/22/2025 2:42:49 PM PST by Sarah Barracuda
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To: Kazan

On the bright side, at least this “deal” might let us dispense with the high-minded idealistic talk about how we are only spreading freedom and democracy around the world.
We could just admit we are NOW a standard empire and launch wars to enrich ourselves.


18 posted on 02/22/2025 2:43:08 PM PST by DesertRhino (2016 Star Wars, 2020 The Empire Strikes Back, 2025... RETURN OF THE JEDI...)
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To: foundedonpurpose
The rare earths in Ukraine are deep and hard to get to. Oh ya, the Russian army also controls and has troops on them. Good luck mining, send Zelinski with a shovel so we can see how it’s done.

If there is no way to get to the rare earth minerals or that most are in the annexed territory, shouldn't that make Zelensky more willing to make a deal since Ukraine isn't really losing much?

19 posted on 02/22/2025 2:44:23 PM PST by Kazan
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To: Kazan

20 posted on 02/22/2025 2:46:19 PM PST by HYPOCRACY (Long live The Great MAGA Kangz!)
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