America and Ukraine agree on a minerals deal, a good omen for the peace process
But Russia and Ukraine remain far apart
DONALD TRUMP this week marked his first 100 days back in power without having ended the Ukrainian war, as he had once promised to do on his first day. But the American diplomatic dial remains turned to max. So far, talks have not squared the circle: reconciling Ukrainian insistence on its territorial integrity with a Russian desire for Ukraine to publicly capitulate. But those close to the table speak of a new momentum, which was given a significant boost when on April 30th America and Ukraine signed a deal that grants America access to Ukraine’s valuable minerals in the shape of a new reconstruction investment fund the two countries will jointly manage.
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This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Of minerals and ceasefires”
Europe
May 3rd 2025
From the May 3rd 2025 edition
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