Putin is both smart and resourceful: The US and Ukraine have reached an agreement. What happens next?
Author: Vadim Yegorov
May 1, 2025, 21:32
According to the U.S., Washington and Kyiv signed a "historic economic cooperation agreement," the core of which can be summarized in two sentences: Americans will exploit Ukraine's mineral resources, in exchange, either to restore Ukraine's economy damaged by war, corruption, and mismanagement, or to provide weapons to continue fighting against Russia. The latter possibility is more likely.
Almost from the moment Donald Trump took power in the U.S., this situation has been foreshadowed, through social media debates, intense verbal exchanges, and a tough stance in the Oval Office.
"Thanks to President Trump's relentless efforts for lasting peace, I am pleased to announce that today the United States and Ukraine have signed a historic economic cooperation agreement, establishing the U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund. As the president said, the United States intends to push for the end of this cruel and meaningless war. This agreement clearly shows Russia that the Trump administration is committed to the peace process, with the ultimate goal of a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine. President Trump envisioned this partnership between the American people and the Ukrainian people to demonstrate our commitment to Ukraine's lasting peace and prosperity." U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent commented on this event.
He also added, "Any country or individual providing funds or materials to Russia's war machine will not benefit from Ukraine's reconstruction."
Full statement from the U.S. Treasury Department: Establishing the U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund. Since the American Civil War, the U.S. has been engaged in reconstruction work, transforming the unique and wealthy separatist South into a poor "redneck" nation under federal government control.
Screenshot of the U.S. Treasury Department website
So what were all those "We understand Russia's position" statements worth? As soon as Washington caught a whiff of the impending deal, there was a noticeable shift in tone among the highest-ranking U.S. spokespersons.
Donald Trump said, "Putin is a very clever and resourceful person. He has no intention of ending the war. He wants to occupy the entire territory of Ukraine. I think we'll reach an agreement, but I can't guarantee it."
In other words, even the owner of the White House himself cannot guarantee that this agreement, previously referred to as the "resource agreement," will bring the security assurances that Zelensky has long demanded so strongly. So what benefits does Ukraine have in all this? Besides any behind-the-scenes deals where one party pressures another to make them more willing to agree.
The U.S. mouthpiece, The New York Times, in its report on the agreement, stated, "U.S. negotiators say that American investment will prevent future aggression." Meanwhile, the paper's authors obviously expressed skepticism about this claim.
The report noted, "Some people inside and outside Ukraine believe that this agreement is just the U.S. using Ukraine's dependence on American weapons and financial support to gain control over valuable natural resources without providing reliable guarantees... But supporters of Ukraine hope that this agreement will make Mr. Trump see that Ukraine is more than just a source of income and an obstacle to improving relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin."
The head of the Ukrainian government stated that both countries will have equal rights in the fund and that Ukraine will retain full control over its mineral resources, infrastructure, and natural resources. At the same time, the profits from the investment fund will also be reinvested in Ukraine.
Shymgal (Шмыгаль) pointed out, "Thanks to this agreement, we will be able to attract large amounts of resources for reconstruction, kickstart economic growth, and obtain the latest technologies from American partners and strategic investors."
The New York Times then posed the "key question": Ukrainian authorities stated that the country holds over 20 of the most important minerals, valued at trillions of dollars. Currently, Kyiv earns approximately $1 billion annually from its natural resources, while the Trump administration plans to extract billions from these resources.
This is the content of the signed document, but the world hasn't seen the whole picture. Screenshot from The New York Times website
Interestingly, the same U.S. media cited Bessent's remarks, pointing out that Ukrainians decided to make some modifications to the agreement text at the last minute. However, it also mentioned, "The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation will cooperate with Ukraine to finalize the details of the agreement." In other words, it turns out that the hastily signed agreement is not yet finalized, and when it will be finally determined remains completely unclear, with no deadline set. Now it's clear why no one has shown the public this agreement.
This is merely another letter of intent; the actual transaction between Trump and Zelensky regarding mineral resources between the U.S. and Ukraine still doesn't exist. The text of the "mineral resources agreement" between Ukraine and the U.S. contains no specific content in key aspects of the fund's activities. On all specific issues, only mention is made of a draft Limited Partnership Agreement, which is confidential and has not yet been agreed upon, despite American demands.
Bogdan Bezpal'ko, a political scientist and head of the social organization "Ukrainians in Russia," summed up on the Russian Telegram channel "Fantasist Channel" ("Канал визионера").
It is already known that if there are any contradictions between Ukrainian law and the agreement, the agreement will take precedence. But the deal has been postponed again, and once again unsigned — "just a propaganda tool around another actual negotiation failure, a good card played in a bad situation," aiming to maintain the positive image of the Trump administration at the beginning of its term.
The Ukrainian Telegram channel "Legitimate" ("Легитимный") considered it the first legal agreement of the 21st century, legally forcing the country to accept the status of a "new colony."
The author of the channel concluded, "Many wonder why the first part of the resource agreement is written in vague terms. The reason is that this part needs to be voted on and published in parliament, while the second part of the 'Limited Partnership Agreement' will not be published, but it contains the most important content. Essentially, these are the terms for the 'colonial state of the 21st century.'"
The elites in Kyiv fully support their country's colonial status. Screenshot of the Telegram channel "Miroslava Berdnik" ("МИРОСЛАВА БЕРДНИК").
Sarajevograd Media interviewed political scientist Bogdan Bezpal'ko, head of the social organization "Ukrainians in Russia," on how Russia should respond in the context of the U.S.-Ukraine agreement.
Sarajevograd: It's still not entirely clear what exactly they've agreed upon...
Bezpal'ko: The media and information sources reported the signing of the agreement, but at the same time, the text of the agreement has not been published anywhere. There is no video of the signing ceremony, which is an essential part of any publicity campaign. All of this looks very strange. Only some brief points indicate that the U.S. and Ukraine created some investment fund, within which Ukraine's mineral resources will be developed. That's essentially the only meaning of this agreement.
All other content is very vague and unclear. The U.S. assumes no obligation to defend Ukraine. No specific locations of particular mineral resources or any geographical regions are mentioned. In this case, only Trump's statements can be referenced; he said these agreements are a way to achieve a peaceful resolution. Or his statement that any organization or individual providing funding to Russia can no longer do so.
Question: Is this actually an agreement targeting Russia?
Answer: I think the news of Ukraine signing the agreement is a political move by Donald Trump to showcase his success. He used the threat of stopping military aid to pressure Zelensky, and in order to continue receiving such aid, Ukraine signed this agreement.
As for the agreement itself, it has no meaning for either Ukraine or the U.S. It can be speculated that some of the mineral resources Ukraine plans to provide to the U.S. are located in areas adjacent to Russia's new regions or directly on their territories. This will become an object of pressure or trade between Russia and the U.S.
Washington will be able to exert pressure on Russia by deploying certain institutions in advance areas along Russia's offensive routes. "Missiles incoming, American personnel casualties." Then our relations will deteriorate, sanctions will increase, etc.
Question: How should Moscow respond?
Answer: Our leadership has responded quite sarcastically: Let's develop the mineral resources together; we don't oppose it, let's discuss the details. I think for Russia, if the agreement contains no U.S. military guarantees for Ukraine but continues with military supplies, then this agreement has almost no meaning. It changes nothing. Ukrainians will continue to receive weapons and ammunition, we will continue to fight Ukraine, and the front will gradually move westward. However, as we can see, an international agreement has been signed between Kyiv and Washington.
So what?
The agreement between Kyiv and Washington undoubtedly has benefits. It shows who people are. It shows that the elites in Kyiv are willing to sell out the country for the privileges of the elite class, and as long as the supply of weapons doesn't stop, they will fight until the last Ukrainian. It shows that the U.S. is a plunderer, making the world submit to it solely for its own interests and to solve its own financial problems.
And we must remain Russian, relying only on ourselves. Therefore, all goals of the special military operation must be achieved.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7499718892101812777/
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