Why Did Zelensky Turn Trump Down?

Ukraine has no debt to the United States.

Is a deal with the United States interesting for Ukraine, which should facilitate the arrival of American investors to Ukraine? Of course, yes. Why did we refuse?

Ukraine is a very transparent country. Everything that comes to Ukraine is no longer a secret. Once, on the second day, the treacherous Tymoshenko-Putin gas contract was posted. Now, on the second day, a draft of the agreement that the US Secretary of the Treasury brought to Zelensky regarding Ukrainian rare earth minerals appears.

Is a deal with the United States interesting for Ukraine, which should facilitate the arrival of American investors to Ukraine? Of course, yes. First of all, these are investments. If suddenly American investors come. This is money for the budget. This is the creation of jobs. This is a reduction in the role of oligarchs in the Ukrainian economy. Well, at least Ukrainian oligarchs. This is a much greater lobbying power of Ukraine in the event of potential future aggravation of Russia's imperial complexes. That is, in theory, this is very interesting for us.

Why did Ukraine, represented by Zelensky, refuse the Americans?

Because it was a very strange agreement. The United States offers Ukraine to create a Fund to which the income from the rent that the state will now receive will be directed, and which will have the right of the first night in the event of the development of any new minerals. And this Fund will be engaged in the reconstruction of Ukraine. But the United States does not owe anything to anyone, does not give anything. That is, there is no agreement that we, together with you, create a Fund and extract something, while paying for American support. No. The idea is that the United States has already helped Ukraine, and now Ukraine is paying off the debt. But we have no debts to the United States. Ukraine could also say that the United States owes us trillions of dollars for giving up nuclear weapons and will now forever pay.

Under the Biden administration, Ukraine indeed received significant support from the United States. At a critical moment. This was the key to survival. This aid is not as large-scale as the European one, which may be news for Trump, but it was critically important. But this aid was in the form of grants. The US itself made the decision on grants. And Ukraine has no debt to the US.

Thus, any Fund that is created cannot discuss aid that has already been rendered. This topic is closed. The subject of this Fund can only be future operations. And we can talk about them. And we should. Because again, this is a profitable situation for Ukraine. An interesting one. It was us who proposed this idea to the US. It was just that Trump's office rethought it very creatively. But, in the language of Trump himself and his colleagues from the streets of New York: “You can't demand payment for a service that has already been rendered.” It was not for nothing that this agreement was proposed to be concluded under the jurisdiction of a New York court. Moreover, judging by Vance's speeches in Munich, the US is ceasing to be a friend, ally and partner, and is moving into the role of a counterparty. Where “it’s nothing personal, just business.”

And, of course, there is nothing in this agreement about American troops to protect Ukrainian mineral resources.

One more thing. The US's great interest is rather strange. Because their companies have never had much interest in Ukrainian mineral resources. And this fund, purely theoretically, could be an instrument for controlling Ukrainian mineral resources, which will not be mined, but will not fall into the hands of American competitors. If such control is worthless, then the temptation to have it is great. And we see from the latest speeches by American officials that these competitors could also be Europeans. And if the US does not plan to invest in supporting Ukraine, then this could be an interesting free option for them.

If they really plan to mine something in Ukraine, and really expect to make a profit, then they can explain to themselves why they support Ukraine. Conventionally, this could be in the form of lend-lease. You give us weapons, and payment will come from our common fund. If this is so, then there is trust that this Fund really plans to make money. And if Trump's people come back and continue the conversation, then we will understand that they really have an interest. If not, then it is a classic case of “it didn't work.”

Serhii Fursa, New Voice

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