Washington is urgent Kyiv to signal away billions in mineral wealth for continued help.
Ukrainian soil incorporates round 5 % of the world’s uncommon earth mineral deposits.
United States President Donald Trump is looking for a share of these assets in return for the billions Washington has despatched to Ukraine to help its battle with Russia.
Trump is demanding Kyiv signal over the rights to about $500bn value of that mineral wealth.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected the primary draft of that deal, saying he can’t “promote the state”.
However at what level does promoting the state begin to appear to be saving the state? And the way sensible is it to extract assets from war-battered Ukraine?
Presenter: Cyril Vanier
Friends:
Peter Zalmayev – Government director, Eurasia Democracy Initiative, political scientist and commentator
Anatol Lieven – Director, Eurasia programme at Quincy Institute for Accountable Statecraft
Theresa Fallon – Director, Centre for Russia Europe Asia Research and a senior fellow on the Chicago Council on World Affairs
