https://www.thetimes.com/world/russia-u ... -67sckzncb
Minerals deal brings hope of US military support for Ukraine
Some in Kyiv believe Trump could approve weapon deliveries, if only to protect energy assets that America now has a vested interest in safeguarding
The long-awaited minerals deal signed on Wednesday between Ukraine and the United States has given Kyiv a much-needed boost of confidence in Washington’s long-term support.
It could also make it harder for President Trump to force Ukraine into a peace deal with Russia that Kyiv sees as damaging for its national interests.
Scott Bessent, the US treasury secretary, said the deal represented Washington’s commitment to a “free, sovereign and prosperous Ukraine over the long term”. He also spoke of Russia’s “full-scale invasion of Ukraine” and “Russia’s war machine”, language rarely heard from the Trump administration, which has frequently taken the Russian side in peace talks.
This may just be rhetoric but it has injected new belief into Ukraine.