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are you worried that the US might walk

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away uh yes I think it's one of the uh

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options uh that US could put the whole

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burden into Europe ukraine says it has

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signed the outline of a minerals deal

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with the US and that a final deal would

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also involve an investment fund for the

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reconstruction of the country donald

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Trump's row with President Zalinsky in

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the White House you will remember blew

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negotiations off track back in back in

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February but it looks like things are

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back on track let's speak to the

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Ukrainian MP Julia Clemenco who is

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former deputy minister for the Ministry

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of Economic Development and Trade for

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Ukraine good morning to you good morning

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can you explain to us what has actually

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been signed we hear it's an outline of a

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minerals deal what does that mean

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actually uh the uh the deal u has two

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parts one is a memorandum on the

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standing what what was signed um

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yesterday uh by our vice uh minister

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sorry v uh wife vice prime minister and

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uh actually the real deal will be um

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will be the largest part uh and it will

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be it following the memorandum of

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understanding so the uh memorandum

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understanding it's just um uh first

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small step uh to start uh dealing and

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start uh drafting the uh main agreement

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uh which could uh which should cover a

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political part and economic part

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investment part so you say to start to

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draft that deal so that that hasn't been

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agreed yet no it's not agreed it's a

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very complicated because it should be

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ratified by both Ukrainian parliament

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Narada and also Congress of US so it

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will be not an easy task to draft the

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proper agreement and to be ratified

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without no um uh concerns from both

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parliaments and from a Ukrainian

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perspective what is it that Ukraine is

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willing to essentially give to the US

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and what are they wanting in return

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actually Ukraine needs much uh uh to a

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lot of investments a lot of investments

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for recovery for rebuilding and also a

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lot of investments as to um uh to run

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and uh um economy because uh we uh lost

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I think approximately 20% of uh uh

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territory but we also lost 20% of our

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industrial capacity on the eastern and

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southern part of Ukraine we had a big

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and large the probably the largest part

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of industrial uh plants and industrial

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uh companies and now it's destroyed um

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and um uh actually what we are looking

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for we are looking for investments from

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not only from US also from UK from

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Europe uh to um to put it into our

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economy to minerals to critical minerals

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to the infrastructure to the railways to

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the port infrastructure and many other

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things so um we are looking first of all

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for investments we are looking also from

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the political part uh for the security

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guarantees we do we do need to

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understand how we

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will will have a lasting peace so for

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that we need security guarantees as well

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as we need to clear understanding that

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it will be not just um uh so to say um

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um uh just just digging our minerals but

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we also need uh uh jobs uh created in

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Ukraine so all our people can come back

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all our refugees over 7 million people

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uh in Europe and in UK and US um can get

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back home and have job and have uh home

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actually and is this deal widely

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supported amongst Ukrainian society i

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know it's difficult to ask every single

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person but generally are people happy

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that this deal is being signed they

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think it's a fair deal

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i think uh we uh we don't have the final

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text of the deal that's the main concern

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uh so I think Ukrainians are okay with a

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memorandum of understanding signed

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yesterday but uh everybody would like to

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see and understand what will be inside

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the final deal or investment fund and uh

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so to say political deal uh we have to

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understand it and before people will see

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and analyze this text and this agreement

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I don't think you can get the answer um

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Ukrainians happy or not ukrainians

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definitely happy with investments will

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be happy with investments growing

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economy and jobs that's our priority and

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do you feel that there has been a

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repairing of the relationship between

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Donald Trump and President Zilinsky when

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we cast our mind back to the Oval Office

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meeting in February clearly a really

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fracturous meeting do you feel that

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relationship's been repaired and do you

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feel that by signing this deal it means

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the US will put greater pressure on

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Putin to to to make concessions

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i think we uh it's a halfway uh I don't

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think the relations fully repaired uh

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still uh uh President Trump and Zilinski

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trying to I mean um uh how to say to

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comment each other but um I think it's a

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halfway of uh of of um repair relations

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between nations between US and Ukraine

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we had very good relations for many

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years and we don't we shouldn't lose it

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um so actually uh I think it will open a

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door uh to more constructive discussion

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with the US particularly in I think on a

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security side on a buying weapon etc etc

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um but um I think the more pressure for

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Russia it's just a parallel track

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unfortunately and we don't see it yet uh

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but we should see because Putin

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definitely doesn't want peace you see uh

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every day we have killed civilian

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He is doing it very cynically and he is

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killing people killing kids and civilian

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people every day so no ceasefire no um

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any kind of uh um I mean war uh stopping

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ending from Putin's side unfortunately

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can I just ask you the US Secretary of

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State Marco Rubio has just said in the

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last few minutes that the US will stop

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trying to broker a peace deal between UK

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uh between Ukraine excuse me and Russia

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unless there are clear signs of progress

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what's your reaction to that my reaction

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is that we want to see progress from

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Putin's side we stop from our side will

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stop uh all strikes on energy

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infrastructure of Russia as we agreed

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but do you worry that the US might walk

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away uh yes I think it's one of the uh

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options uh that US could put the whole

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burden into Europe and European

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continent it's one I think of the risks

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that we can have uh in in in future

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because uh clearly there is not a a

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clear and quick perspective of a peace

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deal from Russia's side and I think

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everybody understand it understood it in

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in a in a past few months julia thank

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you for speaking to us this morning i'm

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grateful chief for your time that's

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Julia Clemenco who is a Ukrainian MP and

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former deputy minister for the Ministry

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of Economic Development the US Secretary

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of State Marco Rubio saying in the last

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few minutes hinting at really that the

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US is prepared to walk away from the

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peace talks between Ukraine and Russia

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if there is a feeling that a deal cannot

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be struck hearing there immediately

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Ukrainian reaction saying it would be

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really worrying if the US walked away

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and it was left just to Europe to try

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and broker that peace deal we'll

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continue to get reaction to that

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throughout the course of the program i

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think it's important to remind everybody

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that the Ukraine war is a terrible thing

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but it's not our war we didn't start it

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the United States has been helping

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Ukraine over the last three years and we

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want it to end and so we've talked about

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outlines of both sides i thought we had

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positive meetings yesterday obviously

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the Ukrainians have to go back home they

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have to run it by their president they

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have to take into account you know their

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views on all of this and we hope to hear

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back from them very soon this is

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important but there are a lot of other

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really important things going on that

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deserve just as much if not more

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attention we're talking about here is

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avoiding thousands and thousands of

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people from dying over the next year

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we're trying to avoid that so if they're

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serious about peace either side or both

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we want to help if it's not going to

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happen then we're just going to move on

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there you go

The Importance of the Recent US-Ukraine Minerals Deal: A Path to Recovery

The recent signing of a minerals agreement between Ukraine and the United States represents a significant step towards Ukraine's economic recovery and the rebuilding of its war-torn infrastructure. This agreement, which is just the beginning of a more comprehensive deal, aims to address Ukraine’s urgent need for foreign investment and security guarantees. The complexities of international diplomacy surrounding this deal, especially amidst concerns that the US might walk away from negotiations, highlight its critical importance for both nations.

Understanding the Minerals Deal

The deal consists of two main components: a preliminary memorandum of understanding signed recently by Ukraine's vice prime minister and a larger agreement to be drafted subsequently. This memorandum outlines the intentions for deeper collaboration, but crucially, it does not finalize any commitments. The final agreement will require ratification by both Ukraine's parliament and the US Congress, indicating the need for a consensus that considers political, economic, and security factors.

The Need for Investments

From Ukraine's perspective, the necessity for investment cannot be overstated. Following the ongoing conflict, Ukraine has lost approximately 20% of its territory and industrial capacity, particularly in its eastern and southern regions. The country is actively seeking investment across several sectors—critical minerals, infrastructure, railways, and ports—to help revive its economy. Additionally, securing safety and employment for its displaced citizens is paramount, as over 7 million Ukrainians remain refugees in Europe and North America.

Public Sentiment Towards the Deal

While it is challenging to gauge the opinions of every Ukrainian citizen, the initial reaction toward the memorandum has been cautiously optimistic. Many Ukrainians understand that investments are essential for economic recovery. However, a clear, comprehensive plan must be disclosed and analyzed before the public can fully endorse the final agreement. The importance of transparency in the final deal cannot be overlooked, as the future of jobs and stability depends on it.

Diplomatic Relations: Repairing the Rift

There is speculation about an improvement in relationships between Ukraine and the US, particularly between President Zelensky and former President Trump. While the recent deal may lay the groundwork for more constructive discussions regarding security and military support, Julia Clemenco, a Ukrainian MP and former deputy minister, suggests that the relationship is still strained, describing the current state as "halfway" towards repair.

Concerns About US Commitment

A looming concern is the possibility that the US might abandon negotiations if substantial progress is not evident from Russia's side. The recent comments from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggest a readiness to pull back, despite Ukraine's desperate need for support. Clemenco articulated the fear that if the US steps away, Europe would bear the entire burden of managing the situation, which may strain European resources and relationships further.

The Broader Picture

The ongoing war in Ukraine raises complex issues beyond the immediate need for peace. The tragic loss of life and continued violence remind us that resolving this conflict is paramount. Many experts assert that if negotiations falter, thousands more lives could be jeopardized in the coming year as the situation escalates.

Conclusion

As the situation unfolds, the US-Ukraine minerals deal represents both hope and uncertainty for many involved. While Ukraine seeks the necessary investments to rebuild, the geopolitical landscape remains fragile. Observers must consider the broader implications of negotiations as both nations navigate this complicated terrain. The fate of Ukraine’s recovery hangs in the balance, contingent on sustained international commitment and clearer paths towards peace. Will the US remain engaged, or will Ukraine have to balance its future prospects amidst uncertainties? This question is likely to shape diplomatic conversations in the weeks and months to come.