Will the war in Ukraine soon come to a long-awaited end? Many hope so following the recent announcement that the U.S. and Ukraine had finally signed a minerals deal.
This is certainly the sentiment expressed by the Trump administration. “Thanks to President Trump’s tireless efforts to secure a lasting peace,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated, “I am glad to announce the signing of today’s historic economic partnership agreement between the United States and Ukraine establishing the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund.”
This agreement commits the U.S. “to helping facilitate the end of this cruel and senseless war,” Bessent added. “This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump Administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term.”
Interestingly, a deal that was notoriously on-again, off-again — highlighted by the infamous Oval Office blowup between Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky, and JD Vance — has finally been realized.
While many of the details have yet to be revealed, it effectively ties down a U.S. commitment to preserving Ukraine and securing its future. It “sends a strong message to Russia,” the White House said, that “the United States has skin in the game.”
The deal gives Ukraine the continued security of receiving military aid from the U.S., which will be funded via a significant economic interest in Ukraine. Specifically, the U.S. will enjoy 50% of the proceeds from developing Ukraine’s deposits of rare earth minerals with no tariffs or duties attached.
The timing of this deal comes just days after Trump and Zelensky’s face-to-face meeting at the Vatican at Pope Francis’s funeral. Furthermore, it follows Trump’s strongest rebuke of Vladimir Putin. “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying,” Trump wrote on Truth Social last week. “Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!”
On Wednesday, in an interview with ABC News, Trump was asked about another social media post in which he wrote, “It makes me think that maybe [Putin] doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’” Trump responded, “He could be tapping me along a little bit,” but added, “I would say that he would like to stop the war.”
Is that Trump calling Putin’s bluff? He’s certainly giving him plenty of room for an off-ramp. But it was just a week ago that the Trump administration was sounding exasperated and on the cusp of walking away from any more vain efforts to end the war. It’s hard not to imagine that Putin was rubbing his hands in glee at the prospect.
Suddenly, the tables have flipped. The weight of the conflict that Putin started has now slid back onto him. News that the U.S. might walk away may have buoyed Russian troops last week. The same goes for Putin’s announcement of a 72-hour ceasefire to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. But now?
Is this another example of Trump’s Art of the Deal at play? It certainly should end any notion Putin may have harbored that Trump would give up, allowing him free rein to continue his march to secure all of Ukraine.
Will this deal finally bring Putin to the negotiation table, offering a real prospect for ending this bloody war? Hopefully, it will.
