Russia Hits U.S. Over Minerals Deal, Says Ukraine ‘Is About To Disappear’

Russia responded on Thursday to the United States striking a minerals agreement with Ukraine, mocking President Donald Trump and saying that Ukraine “is about to disappear.”

The Trump administration lauded the deal as a significant step forward in pushing back against Russian aggression. Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev responded, writing on Telegram, “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.”

The United States and Ukraine finally agreed to the minerals deal on Wednesday after a months-long negotiation process that hit multiple roadblocks. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the “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.”

Unlike the United States’ previous military aid for Ukraine, the minerals deal will ensure that Ukraine continues to receive military support while the United States will gain access to some of Ukraine’s vital natural resources in return. The agreement sets up an investment fund managed by the United States and Ukraine, which will allow the United States to collect revenue from Ukraine’s natural resources, The New York Times reported.

The minerals agreement will also make the United States responsible for ensuring that countries “that have acted adversely to Ukraine in the conflict do not benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine.” The deal does not appear to prohibit Ukraine from seeking membership in the European Union, which was a major point for Kyiv during negotiations.

Shortly after the deal was signed, Trump approved $50 million in military aid for Ukraine, the first military package for Ukraine that Trump has approved since taking office in January.

The minerals agreement marks a major step for the Trump administration, which has been pushing hard for both Ukraine and Russia to come to terms on a peace deal to end the war.