Russia attacks the U.S. over its minerals deal and claims Ukraine would be "about to disappear"

The Russian government responded Thursday to the agreement reached between the U.S. and Ukrainian governments on minerals, mocking U.S. President Donald Trump and even claiming that Ukraine would be "on the verge of disappearing" as a country. In a post on his Telegram account, the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, Dimitri Medvedev, detailed that "Trump has finally pressured the Kiev regime to pay for US aid with mineral resources. Now, the country that is about to disappear will have to use its national wealth to pay for military supplies."

Washington and Kiev signed the minerals deal Wednesday afternoon, after a lengthy negotiation process in which Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky had to overcome numerous obstacles. In a statement, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent detailed that "agreement signals clearly to Russian leadership that the Trump administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term," The Trump administration hailed the agreement reached with Ukraine as an important step in the fight against Russian encroachment and the beginning of the end of the war.

Details on the agreement.

As detailed by the New York Times, the minerals deal between the two countries will ensure that Ukraine will continue to receive military support, while the United States will have access to several of Ukraine's vital natural resourcesin return. However, unlike what was stipulated in the previous draft on the agreements, Washington will not be able to obtain all the minerals it wantsand will have to reach agreements on the issue of quantities. Also, the agreement establishes aninvestment fund managed by the two countries, which will allow the United States to collect revenues from natural resources.

The Timesalso noted that this agreement will make the White House responsible for ensuring that nations "that have acted adversely to Ukraine in the conflict do not benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine". Similarly, the agreement does not prohibit Ukraine from seeking to join the European Union, which was one of the most important points for the Ukrainian government during negotiations with the Trump administration.