Ukraine and the U.S. have agreed to a deal.
They will share profits from the sale of Ukraine’s critical minerals and raw materials. Both sides are calling it a win. The deal is intended to give the White House an economic motive to keep investing in Ukraine’s defense and reconstruction as the Trump administration tries to broker an end to the war.
How are Ukrainians reacting to this deal? We spoke to Volodymyr Landa, a senior economist with the Center for Economic Strategy in Kyiv. He’s been following the minerals negotiations closely for months. And he says this deal, at least, does not smack of colonialism.
“The agreement is designed as a win-win partnership, which gives us hope that such an agreement will actually be implemented in the long run,” said Volodymyr.
Unlike previous versions of the deal, Landa says, this version does not obstruct Ukraine on its path to the European Union. And crucially, it appears to not count previous U.S. military aid to Ukraine as a debt that needs to be repaid.
Source: NPR.
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