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The proposed deal would ramp up Ukraine’s dependence on the US (Image: Getty)
Donald Trump is seeking US control over all of Ukraine’s rare minerals and energy assets – including oil and gas – in a major expansion on his previous demands.
The proposed deal, which has been seen and compared to holding a gun to Volodymyr Zelensky's head by The Daily Telegraph, would ramp up Ukraine’s dependence on the US.
The US would receive all royalties until Ukraine has paid off at least $100bn of war debt, with 4% interest and hand Kyiv just 50% thereafter.
Alan Riley, an expert on energy law at the Atlantic Council, says “there are no guarantees, no defence clauses, the US puts up nothing”.
Prof Riley adds: “The Americans can walk away, the Ukrainians can’t. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
On top of this America would gain unprecedented control to veto exports of Ukrainian energy and rare minerals, potentially starving China of a future import opportunity, but potentially also Europe.
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14 mins ago07:25 Lauran O'Toole
'The Americans can walk away, the Ukrainians can’t'
Mr Trump’s latest proposals go far beyond the minerals deal that collapsed last month during Volodymyr Zelensky’s catastrophic White House visit.
At the time Trump had hailed the draft deal as an important step on what remains a faint path toward peace in Ukraine.
Alan Riley, an expert on energy law at the Atlantic Council, says “there are no guarantees, no defence clauses, the US puts up nothing”.
Prof Riley adds: “The Americans can walk away, the Ukrainians can’t. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
The proposed deal includes 'no defence clauses' for Ukraine (Image: Getty)
40 mins ago06:59 Lauran O'Toole
US would receive all loyalties as Ukraine left with no security guarantee
The new deal would see the US receive all royalties until Ukraine has paid off at least $100bn of war debt, with 4% interest and hand Kyiv just 50% thereafter.
Despite the massive economic control handed over America it would come with no security guarantee in light of a future Russian invasion.
In a post on Telegram, Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak said the new version of the deal was a "horror". He said, according to Newsweek, that it does not contain "anything about security guarantees" from the US.
"I hope that the Ukrainian side will demand and achieve significant changes to it," he added.
The deal would provide no security guarantee to Ukraine (Image: Getty)
46 mins ago06:53 Lauran O'Toole
Proposed minerals deal unprecedented in the history of modern diplomacy
Donald Trump is seeking US control over all of Ukraine’s rare minerals and energy assets – including oil and gas – in a major expansion on his previous demands.
The proposed deal would see the United States contribute very little despite benefiting hugely.
The agreement seen by The Daily Telegraph states that the US would gain control of infrastructure linked to natural resources “including, but not limited to, roads, rail, pipelines and other transportation assets; ports, terminals and other logistics facilities and refineries, processing facilities, natural gas liquefaction and/or regasification facilities and similar assets”.
Donald Trump is seeking US control over all of Ukraine’s rare minerals and energy assets (Image: Getty)
53 mins ago06:46 Lauran O'Toole
Good morning
Good morning and welcome to our live blog. My name is Lauran O'Toole and I will be bringing you all the latest on Trump's proposed new mineral deal for Ukraine this morning and into this afternoon.
English (US) · 