US presented Ukraine with a document to access its minerals but offered almost nothing in return
apnews.com

... Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he directed his ministers not to sign off on a proposed agreement to give the United States access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals because the document was too focused on U.S. interests.

The proposal, which was a key part of Zelenskyy's talks with U.S. Vice President JD Vance on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday, did not offer any specific security guarantees in return, according to one current and one former senior Ukrainian official familiar with the talks.

Zelenskyy's decision not to accept the proposal, at least for now, was described as "short-sighted" by a senior White House official.

"I didn't let the ministers sign a relevant agreement because in my view it is not ready to protect us, our interest," Zelenskyy told The Associated Press on Saturday in Munich.

The proposal focused on how the U.S. could use Kyiv's rare earth minerals "as compensation" for support already given to Ukraine by the Biden administration and as payment for future aid, the current and former senior Ukrainian officials said, speaking anonymously so they could speak freely.

Zelenskyy insists on security guarantees

Ukraine has vast reserves of critical minerals that are used in the aerospace, defense and nuclear industries. The Trump administration has indicated it is interested in accessing them to reduce dependence on China but Zelenskyy said any exploitation would need to be tied to security guarantees for Ukraine that would deter future Russian aggression.

"For me is very important the connection between some kind of security guarantees and some kind of investment," the Ukrainian president told AP. ...

As U.S. and Putin negotiate, intel shows he's not interested 'in a real peace deal,' sources say
www.nbcnews.com

... Intelligence suggests Russian President Vladimir Putin is going through the motions and still thinks he can eventually control all of Ukraine, the sources told NBC News.

As the Trump administration begins preliminary talks with Russian officials about ending the war in Ukraine, intelligence from the United States and close allies shows that Russian President Vladimir Putin still wants to control all of Ukraine, according to four Western intelligence officials and two U.S. congressional officials.

"We have zero intelligence that Putin is interested in a real peace deal right now," one of the congressional officials said.

Putin is sending representatives to Saudi Arabia for negotiations Tuesday with the U.S. that are aimed at ending the war. But, the six officials said, current intelligence shows Putin still believes he can wait out Ukraine and Europe to eventually control all of Ukraine.

"He thinks he's winning," one of the Western intelligence officials said, adding that Russian losses on the battlefield are not pressuring Putin to stop fighting. ...

Of course Pres Putin thinks he is winning. At the negotiations table his adversary is President Trump who seems to think that a surrener to Pres Putin is winning because the war ended. (but did it really end?)

Trump levels stunning criticisms against Zelensky after Russia talks
www.axios.com

... President Trump sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday, after U.S. officials met for talks with Russia, from which Ukraine was excluded.

Why it matters: Trump's comments -- falsely suggesting Ukraine started the war and that Zelensky is deeply unpopular with his own people -- will supercharge fears among Ukraine and U.S. allies that the Trump administration is siding with Moscow ahead of possible peace talks.

- - - They could also increase the tension and suspicion between the Trump administration and the Zelensky government.

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