By Pini Althaus
As the U.S. competes for essential tech metals, calls for establishing a Critical Minerals Czar (or special envoy or task force) are plentiful and palpable, and this should be a priority of the Trump administration. We need someone with the requisite authority to coordinate the full apparatus of the U.S. government to secure lithium, cobalt, tungsten and dozens of critical and rare earth elements at home and abroad.
Vice President J.D. Vance – who has been a strong proponent of shoring up domestic manufacturing – is a prime choice to lead a national strategy as Critical Minerals Czar and apply the full force of U.S. diplomacy, trade, and national security to this once-in-a-generation opportunity to develop minerals reserves overseas. From the White House, he could usher a playbook for shoring up the industrial base and support U.S. mining companies in their active pursuits of foreign land concessions and processing opportunities.
U.S. progress in establishing a critical minerals supply chain independent of China is stymied by several factors, including a lack of harmonization among multiple government agencies to produce tangible commercial outcomes, in addition to the lack of follow-up and tangible results from the numerous Agreements the U.S. has signed with allied countries hosting key critical minerals deposits.
The Vice President is uniquely perched across the Executive Branch. For critical minerals, cooperation among the Departments of Defense, State, Commerce, Energy and Interior, could enhance U.S. competitiveness and coordinate domestic policy with diplomacy and trade advocacy. Directing this inter-agency collaboration could achieve practical outcomes in securing and managing critical mineral resources.
Vice President Vance has demonstrated a keen understanding of economic and industrial policies, emphasizing the need for a robust domestic manufacturing base. His advocacy for reducing dependence on foreign supply chains aligns with the objectives of strengthening the U.S. critical minerals sector. Vance’s support for initiatives like the ONSHORE Act, which aims to bolster domestic manufacturing and secure supply chains, underscores his commitment to enhancing national resilience in critical industries.
Addressing the global nature of critical minerals supply requires robust international cooperation. Vice President Vance’s diplomatic engagements position him to negotiate agreements with allied nations to develop a supply chain independent of adversarial influences. His recent discussions about strategic opportunities in Greenland highlight his proactive approach to securing alternative sources of critical minerals.
Another major issue is that China is pricing out prospective critical minerals producers globally, including in allied countries like Australia, where as we are witnessing now, key critical minerals projects are put on “care and maintenance” when commodity prices fluctuate, which China exclusively controls in the case of several key minerals.
China’s dominance in the processing of critical minerals, including rare earths, poses significant challenges, including price manipulation and supply constraints. To mitigate these risks, establishing a Global Critical Minerals Taskforce comprising key supplier and consumer countries is essential. Vice President Vance’s leadership can facilitate the formation of such a coalition, promoting fair trade practices and enhancing supply chain resilience. This will enable a transparent spot market for critical minerals to be established.
By no means will this be an easy task. Many nations like Japan and Korea, for example, rely heavily on China for their present supply of critical minerals. A global initiative to reduce China’s dominance of the sector may lead to reprisals by China in the form of further export bans, like the recent prohibition of Chinese tungsten products to the U.S.
Within the U.S., prime contractors and large manufacturing OEMs that currently source materials from China may be reluctant to bear the pain of potentially higher prices in the short-term. Historically, some U.S. companies have even lobbied against restrictions of imported critical minerals from China to avoid adversely affecting near-term bottom lines. At some point, U.S. manufacturers may have to accept that protracted export bans, materials shortages and higher basket prices are unavoidable if China continues on its current path of dominating the global critical minerals supply chain. Notwithstanding U.S. policy, China’s dominance will erode U.S. options for critical metals.
Vice President Vance can help unify how industry and the U.S. government responds. As Critical Minerals Czar, he can bolster the U.S. critical minerals posture through a comprehensive plan to dominate and win.
Pini Althaus has been an Executive Officer in the mining & resource sector since 2002. He has successfully identified and acquired several significant mining projects in the United States, Canada, Australia, China and Latin America. His responsibilities in the resource sector have included not only the executive duties, also the operational duties, fund-raising, liaising with Government officials, shareholder relations and investor relations/public relations roles. He has also served as a consultant to the United Nations on critical minerals supply chains in the Arab Region.
This article was originally published by RealClearEnergy and made available via RealClearWire.
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Once it becomes clear that the transition to wind and solar generation, battery electric vehicles and massive grid scale electricity storage is complete failure, the demand for rare earth minerals will drop off very substantially. That will drastically reduce the strategic importance of deals like the one Trump is trying to get with Ukraine. It may also diminish China’s economic leverage and Putin’s desire to grab more of the mineral rich Ukrainian territory. I am a bit mystified that Trump can be both working to destroy the climate change scam and think that the massive market for these minerals will still be huge.
Modern technology of many types (not just climate scam products), requires these critical minerals, and at the moment China has a stranglehold on many of them.
There may, or may not, be critical minerals in commercial quality and quantity in Ukraine, but before anyone can get at them, Putin will need to mediate a cease fire between Trump and Zelensky. 😉
Lithium batteries are everywhere in mobile devices. Rare earth magnets are fun and used in a myriad of applications.
Rick C,
The better mineral resources companies keep teams running to study the minerals likely to be in demand in the future. They compile information that does not have to include the opinions of media writers or lobbyists for this or that who might be pro or con.
There is a bit of the thinking with a new mine or commodity “If we build it, they will come.” A new world best deposit in any commodity is likely to succeed big time, no matter what the media market forecast gurus waffle on about.
Decent assessments of future demands for minerals can be made starting with present production patterns, which are mostly accurate, reliable numbers and a good platform. Geoff S
Even if you think BEVs will decrease in the near term, hybrid vehicles will increase and robotics is massively increasing.
How does that work exactly?
Don’t overthink it. The President establishes a Critical Minerals Task Force (with mission statement and reporting requirements) and appoints Vance as Chairman and others as members. Resources to be drawn from existing personnel and budgets.
And how exactly does this taskforce “secure” anything from abroad?
Or perhaps the question should be what does “secure” mean in this context?
The first job of the task force is awareness. Determine what’s needed, what’s available, at what cost (including whether alternative sources may be available, at what cost).
This info may be available through myriad agencies and departments of the government but without a central clearing house, the chance of making good decisions is diminished.
Then, if we can’t produce enouigh of our own, at acceptable cost, we prioritize our need and we do a deal.
We have more assets (tangible and otherwise) to trade than just about anyone. We brag about being “a nation of laws” so, why not offer to trade, say, 30 District Judges and 1,000 attorneys for a specific amont of lithium or other. Win/Win?
I would prioritize raw materials over finished products or parts. The latter can too easily be ‘programmed’ to fail when we need them most. Cheap labor ain’t cheap.
It seems like grift to me.
If you want more production, start buying/stockpiling product.
If you want more mines, reduce the fees and speed up the permitting.
If you want more projects, reduce claims fees, subsidize drilling/assays.
Most of the time, “secure” means sign a long term contract.
It doesn’t take the full apparatus of the U.S. government to do that.
It seems that you’re reading something into this that you don’t want to explicitly state. What is that?
If we ask why China dominates so-called ‘rare earth’ metals, it’s not because they are rare. It’s not because they are somehow not found in the US. It’s primarily regulations and lawfare that prevent extractive industry of all kinds in the US.
So if (and it is a big if) we need to treat this as a matter of national security, then we need to get a handle on all the Deep State operatives who currently facilitate the crippling of the mining industry throughout the Leviathan government.
The article was specific, it says they’re to be secured from abroad.
MarkW suggests its simply sign a contract but the context was that the full apparatus of the U.S. government would be involved so its obviously more than that.
You say I’m reading something into that but how is it meant to be interpreted?
You force us to be mind readers and my record on mind-reading is checkered.
I could hypothesize that you are alluding to there being some kind of military conquest to take resources from other countries, but I don’t know on what basis you imagine that.
The whole article is based on false premises in my mind. We don’t need government involved, we just need government to get the hell out of the way.
If you’re really worried that Orange Man Bad is going to annex the Great White North, then go take your Xanax. Nobody wants a second California to make America permanently impotent. All you have to do is stop letting illegal aliens traffic fentanyl across our border. Why is that so hard?
We all read it. We can all have an opinion on what the author is meaning. So regarding
The author he went on to say
We can read that too.
This author is basically saying the US should use whatever means necessary to acquire whatever it needs from whoever it wants. And that’s just not ok.
You are seeing what your ideology tells you to see, not what is there.
And what ideology is that?
I’m reading what is there and quoting it. You’re not responding with anything meaningful beyond suggesting its just another way to say the US will sign contracts for resources.
Well forgive me for noticing that the article is not saying that at all.
If the author is pushing for conquest of other countries’ resources then of course I reject that, although I think you’re making a leap in assuming that. In any case as I said already, I’m not aligned with the idea that this is a job for government other than for a temporary DOGE-like role of beating the bureaucracy into submission.
I would think “rescuing” countries on the proviso they sign deals would also count.
Your unwillingness to speak plainly is maddening TTTM. Are you saying that Trump seeking to recoup the losses my country has incurred by foolishly financing the utter destruction of Ukraine is ‘rescuing countries’?
The Biden regime stole that money from the US. (And God knows how much of it flowed directly back into Deep State pockets). Trump on being restored to office is looking for a win-win deal whereby Ukraine can be rebuilt and America can be paid back.
The garden gnome wants the last of Ukraine’s youth sacrificed and then send in the Americans. Ain’t gonna happen.
If the US and others had not helped Ukraine then Russia would probably have won and controlled all the resources. Would that have been an acceptable result?
Putin would never have attacked Ukraine if Trump had still been president. Trump wants peace and prosperity. The Deep State war profiteers want forever wars.
Biden’s strategy was to absurdly say “Don’t” while doing nothing to address any Russian grievances. And the Russian speakers in the east had real grievances.
After Biden’s cut and run from Kabul, it was practically an invitation to march in. Belligerent weakness.
I doubt it but we’ll never know. Russia had been attacking and occupying Ukraine since 2014.
It does if what is getting in the way are government regulations.
The normal procedure is a ‘special 3 day military operation’ to annex the country and ethnically cleanse it of anyone who disagrees.
U.S. progress in establishing a critical minerals supply chain independent of China is stymied by several factors, including a lack of harmonization among multiple government agencies to produce tangible commercial outcomes.
Why look abroad? Economic imperialism, like China? The coterminous US has ample such mineral resources but has been paralysed by the NIMBY-enviro lobby who have completely blocked exploitation in the US itself.
See Paul Driessen’s recent article: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/02/28/mine-baby-mine-right-here-in-the-usa/
One simple way to kick start this process is to allow the patenting of mineral lands that are developed under the 1872 mining law.Clinton initiated a moratorium on the process to review the fees charged and it has never been removed. It is a single sentence in the annual appropriations bill that the uniparty leaves untouched. This simple step creates a large asset instead of a huge liability at the end of mine life giving many smaller miners and projects a positive mine economic forecast.
This is a big job. It’s not just about lithium and rare earths.
The USGS 2022 List of Critical Minerals lists 50 minerals/metals that are critical for US industry and defense. Take a few minutes to look at it and you can see how dependent we are on sources outside the US for much of the minerals essential to our technological infrastructure.
Many of the metals on that list are no longer produced in the US because of overly burdensome regulation. A clear minded review of those regulations would definitely increase US production of minerals we need. The minerals are there, and could be economically and ecologically mined if obstacles were removed.
Then there are the political aspects of mineral ownership. E.g. the Mountain Pass mine in CA produces 15% of the world’s rare earths. But much of the ore is processed in China which owns 8% of that mine, and overall produces 90% of the world’s rare earths. Think about it. A significant part of China’s 90% share of rare earth production comes from the United States! There’s nothing illegal about that. It’s just a matter of China being more sophisticated than the US about critical minerals and where they come from. Perhaps someone like JD Vance could change that.
Oh. By the way. You can’t get lithium batteries that aren’t made in China. It’s not that they own all the lithium. They don’t. They just own the patents. Many of which they bought from American universities. Smart, forward thinking. Gotta give them credit. Maybe we could use some smart, strategic thinkers in the US government and turn them loose on the problem.
Navada_Geo,
There is much to like in what you wrote. Can I assume that you are an active geoscientist in the field? Geoff S
I second what Nevada_Geo says.
BUT, maybe there should be MORE regulation (horrors) in the award of patents and international trade of patents. In the event of a true critical need of patent information (national security) what’s more important; patent law or survival. What’s China’s record on patent infringement?
Patent law HAS been more regulated with recent changes. And all patent information is available to everyone. But patent rights aren’t. And just because Chinese entities infringe on patents doesn’t mean that we should, no matter what the circumstances. Otherwise the system falls apart. (And that’s coming from an inventor who suffered massive infringement on my patents by Chinese factories.)
Patent law is not the crucial issue because IP can be stolen. When Walt Disney was told by his attorneys that people were stealing his ideas, his response was, “When someone steals my ideas, I know that they’re worth something. And I can create faster than they can steal from me.”
Where’s the concrete and steel czar?!
SteveG,
Somewhere in Trump Tower, New York? Geoff S
Thanks, Geoff. Let me return the compliment – developing those four properties in Oz is quite an accomplishment, and your comments are spot on. Yes, over 40 years of exploration on 5 continents. The phone’s not ringing much so I’m probably retired now.
There is far too much trepidation showing in this article and comments so far.
People are too afraid of something intangible to grab the bull by the horns.
The same scaredy-cat approach to nuclear energy is killing it. People forget what France did to power their nation in under a decade.
Here is some encouragement in pictures from Australia. Here are aerials of 4 mine sites (actually 7 mines in total) that the exploration team I helped manage found from scratch, mostly from bare countryside mostly wilderness or wheat farms or sheep properties, in 15 years or so. Value of sales to date is about 60 billion $$$ Aust.
Our biggest impediment was not in-house scientific skill, it was mindless, ignorant bureaucratic obstruction. One big culprit was the United Nations world heritage people, stealing Australian sovereign rights.
In the US, your President and VP recognize that this obstruction has also been a curse. They are rather bright people who are doing more than talk about repair, they are now actively repairing.
Gather your resources dollars together, you US explorers, seek out the best geoscientists you can find and turn them loose with decent budgets. They will reward you many times over, like we rewarded our sponsors (who also had top insight and determination). We never got a break like Messrs Trump and Vance are offering. Imagine what you can do with support from the top. Geoff S
Nice photos and much appreciated. Most geologists toil their entire career and are not successful. Discovery is hard and production is harder. In the US it takes decades to put a new mine into production…and that is the easy ones. Ask the companies in N. Minnesota how long they have been waiting with their Cu-Ni projects. (I worked on one of them back in the 1970’s).
I can project Vance will be much more effective at being the minerals czar than the previous VP was at being the border czar.
First Vance needs to find a country with a leader who enjoys being lectured.
Does Trump and Vance Vance understand that countries with nuclear weapons aimed at us are our enemies?
They sold out years ago.
Here we go again, the Democrats want war.
IMHO, I believe that
Vice-PresidentTrump’s lapdog J.D. Vance took the lead from Co-President Trump in totally blowing “the art of the deal” for the US to obtain a share of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals. There he was, lecturing the leader of a foreign nation (one at war with an enemy of the United States), wagging his finger at Zelensky (as did Trump) as if he was a child about—among other things—disrespecting the Oval Office.Put that in perspective against previous videos of Co-President Elon Musk, standing in a T-shirt and dorky MAGA baseball cap, towering over Trump who is seated at the Resolute Desk in coat and tie in the Oval Office.
I guess Musk doesn’t care squat about disrespecting the Oval Office or Co-President Trump, nor is he apparently aware (or paying any attention to) the traditional etiquette/protocol of a man taking off a hat when entering a room.
As for Zalensky—despite what Trump said to him incorrectly and disrespectfully (hah!)—kudos to him for knowing exactly what “cards” he holds in fact. The day after the meltdown meeting with Trump and Vance he has a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, where he is warmly greeted. I’m sure that the UK and/or many European/EU nations would love to have access to Ukraine’s rare earth and other minerals, even if only to be the middle man (for a fee, of course) for selling such to the USA.
Wow, you really do see everything from a very-far-left TDS perspective, don’t you.
MSNBC and CNN your go-to source ?
No.
No.
What a moron you are KnowItAll.
The little comedy actor was directed by a cabal of Deep State traitors to behave like a petulant teenage girl on Friday, and he did so.
The goal was to trigger Trump and make it appear that Trump cancelled a peace deal. Vance helped Trump maintain composure far beyond what I would have expected under the circumstances.
Low expectations, eh?
This traitor is at it again.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2025/03/02/vindman_i_demand_trump_apologize_to_zelensky_jd_vance_should_resign.html
Vindman should be executed for treason.
I think Trump and Vance need to be first. If you think Russia is your friend or ally you are simply either 100% ignorant of history or beyond stupid
Leo
Russia is neither a current friend nor an ally. Our hostile actions have played a role in that state of affairs.
Russia is a proud, European power with a long history and admirable culture. It is a part of historical Christendom. It SHOULD have become a friend and an ally and it COULD still progress toward being so if both sides would try to put the past behind us.
But just as China is a proud country with an exquisite history and culture but has become a hostile power and an adversary, so is the unfortunate case with Russia.
What happened to the trope that diversity is our strength? Does that only apply with incompatible cultures in Western capitals? We should respect our adversaries and seek to make peace with them while maintaining our strength.
Picking fights with nuclear powers who have hypersonic missiles is the height of insanity. There is literally no way for the West to win this war for Ukraine without it ending in tears.
It is so ironic that it is our weak cousins arguing to let’s you go beat him up, Yanks!
Well, as the saying goes, “that was then, this is now”.
I will agree about “proud” and “power” and “long history” applying over the 18th thru 20th centuries . . . but disagree about “admirable” over any point in the past and up to the present.
As regards Russia being “European”, you should be aware of the following:
a) “The Russian government issued a strategic planning document on foreign policy in March 2023, a year after troops rolled across the Ukraine border for a full-scale invasion. The planning document reconceptualised Russia not as a European nation but as ‘a vast Eurasian and Euro-Pacific power.’ Some of this was posturing, Russian nationalism unleashed. But it also reflects geopolitical reality.
“Russia cannot see itself as a part of Europe anymore. Cut off from the West, not only economically and politically, but also culturally, Russia has had to go in search of friends elsewhere. Russia must acknowledge its geographical place in Asia.
“Such sentiment has been growing in Russia for many years, since at least the fall of the Soviet Union. In 2021, a poll showed that 64% of Russians did not think of themselves as a European country, compared to only 29% who did. The invasion of Ukraine has accelerated support for this trend. The Europe Square in Moscow has removed flags of European countries and changed its name to Eurasia Square.“
— https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/russia-really-european-anymore
(my bold emphasis added above)
b) “Russia’s vast landmass stretches over the easternmost part of Europe and the northernmost part of Asia. It spans the northernmost edge of Eurasia and has the world’s fourth-longest coastline, of over 37,653 km (23,396 mi). Russia lies between latitudes 41° and 82° N, and longitudes 19° E and 169° W, extending some 9,000 km (5,600 mi) east to west, and 2,500 to 4,000 km (1,600 to 2,500 mi) north to south . . . The Ural Mountains, running north to south through the country’s west, are rich in mineral resources, and form the traditional boundary between Europe and Asia.”
— https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia
(my bold emphasis added above)
Yawn
You may think that. The rest of the world saw something very different indeed.
The rest of the world is now figuring out how to get the USA out of their countries, off their military bases and off their purchase requisitions.
You cannot unwatch that disgraceful display of sleazy deal breaking by T and V.
I am as far right as they come, but I am not an oligarch nor do I support dictators. In Europe we know all about dictators. Napoleon.Hitler. Stalin. Mussolini. Ceausescu.
Which is why the street of whitehall was lined with thousands waving Ukrainian flags for Zelensky at the security summit to which the USA has not been invited.
I wonder how long it will be before the USAs nuclear equipped airbases in the UK will be asked to go home, as representing a national security risk.
And the European order books for F35s be cancelled, and replaced with Eurofighters.
It doesn’t matter what you think happened. It matters what the rest of the world thinks happened.
An absolute twisting of the narrative Leo.
The rest of the world is such a mess through their own stupidity and obsessions with net zero, that they are hoping some order can be established before someone like rocket man or some mad mullah reaches for their little red button …. Zelensky’s hate and inability to rise above it is the problem. I can’t possibly imagine a situation where Zelensky could face off in the same room, with a Russian delegation or any other delegation trying to arrive at a peaceful solution. From a number of perspectives, his position is intractable.
The demand for a security guarantee from THE US, before anything else, and his failure to acknowledge that US-aid for the war was a gift not a loan, added to his woeful performance. I noted that the British PM only offered a loan guarantee, not a bucket of money. Zelensky is actually on his own, and he is running out of bodies to put in harms way.
Europe is scared that, in response to the US budgetary position, Trump may downsize his support. Australia is in the same boat.
We gave them BILLIONS and they want more.
I certainly hope that it won’t have to come to the point of being asked, Leo, as we most of us don’t speak Arabic or Urdu.
Of course. Not only will Europe in the end do a far better deal with Ukraine, but no other nation on earth will ever trust the USA as being a nation that wont renege on their contracts,
The USA has chosen isolation from world markets.
So be it.
Why didn’t Europe do anything? They have done nothing but extract US funds for dead Ukrainians….Europe is sick
If only Leo. Isolation from third world countries like Anglostan for example.
What makes you so sure the deal is dead?
Why do democrats want war?
Not just Democrats, Uniparty Deep-Statists.
Hint for you: the war is already in progress and started on February 24, 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine . . . despite what Co-President states to the contrary. Democrats (in the USA) had little or nothing to do with Russia’s war-making.
I agree.
I would describe myself as a small-c conservative (in the UK I stopped voting Conservative years ago because of their barking mad climate and energy policies and their socialist policies e.g. on tax – now I’m a Reform voter and hope to see Nigel Farage as our next prime minister).
I STRONGLY support Trump on nearly all his policies – climate change/energy, anti globalism, the economy, mass illegal migration, government fraud/corruption etc etc But I also passionately support Ukraine.
Ukraine is a young, decent democracy led by a man of enormous courage. Russia is a disgusting aggressive dictatorship led by a war criminal, a mass murderer and killer – he was responsible for murders committed on British soil. Putin’s aim is to rebuild the old Russian empire by force. On this I think Jake Broe is absolutely right. Putin has to be stopped. Fortunately Russia is slowly collapsing internally and to some extent on the battlefield – they are now forced to use donkeys for transport for heaven’s sake. Once Russia was the second best military in the world. Now they are the second best military in Ukraine.
Surely, when choosing which side to support it should be a no-brainer. Europe, despite its huge failings, made the right choice (I actually strongly oppose the EU and voted to leave). But, sadly, it seems Trump and Vance have made the wrong choice. They have chosen dictatorship against democracy.
Because of his position on Ukraine, I had a very low opinion on Vance. But after his words defending free speech, that opinion went up a few hundred percent. Shame he seems to ignore the destruction of free speech in Russia. But now, after this disgusting display in the White House, of all places, my opinion of Vance is around minus 500 percent. I think he bears more blame than Trump. Sadly, sometimes Trump is easily led.
Trump repeatedly flip-flops, so hopefully in a week or so he will magically reverse his position again. In the long term supporting Ukraine rather than Russia is a win-win for him. He will be seen as a supporter of democracy and will strengthen his alliance with Europe while at the same time getting a pretty good minerals deal with Ukraine.
Forget the Russian propaganda. All that matters is for the war between dictatorship and democracy to be won by the democratic, flawed but decent free world.
Chris
“Ukraine is a young, decent democracy led by a man of enormous courage. Russia is a disgusting aggressive dictatorship led by a war criminal, a mass murderer and killer – he was responsible for murders committed on British soil.”
Yes . . . exactly! . . . that is the “inequality equation” that all students should contemplate as homework.
P.S. Need I add commentary on the number of murders Putin has committed on Russian soil . . . you know, in the Motherland?
Watching his meltdown when Zelensky exposed his patronising “diplomacy” solution by explaining Putin has history for renaging on such agreements I wouldn’t put him in charge of buying groceries.
He was a complete disaster in that meeting.
He was.
But it was clearly a power play inside Washington.
A Head of State represents his country. They must be respected. Another Head of State can speak firmly with them. But lower ranks cannot disrespect a Head of State as that is disrespecting the whole country. Certainly not in the presence of their own leader. It’s basic diplomacy.
JD Vance was showing the world that he is the boss and Trump is just an old man who follows Vance’s lead. If that weren’t so, Trump would have put Vance in his place.
It was a win for Russia, yes. But it was about asserting Vance’s dominance over Trump, not over Zelenskyy.
Wow, where did you come up with such nonsense ! Uncured TDS ?
All Zelensky had to do was sign the mineral deal, but chose to grandstand, as he has on other occasions.
Trump is very much in charge. He is now in a position that he can withdraw financial support for Ukraine, because Zelensky proved he does not want peace.
Zelensky made a complete stuff-up with his arrogant pettiness and gimme- gimme-gimme routine.
And unless he fixes it, will have to rely on clowns like Starmer to “protect” him from Putin…
Good luck with that !
You talk so much nonsense. It was his country that was attacked. Why Trump is so hell bent on being Putins fwend is beyond anyone. Of course Zelenskyy wants peace, but he also needs guarantees so this wont happen again. Let’s not forget he is dealing with a murderous dictator.
Nothing is guaranteed. Change is constant. A body at rest is soon a dead body.
Oh dear, you are so simplistic.
There are two parties warring Ukraine and Russia.
Both are ruled by murderous dictators.
That means Trump has to talk with Putin.
Zelensky kyboshed a great opportunity, which had been discussed over and over during the previous weeks, because he wants to be seen as “the man”.
Why should it be Trump that has to provide “security guarantees” .
.. ie more money to waste, and more weapons for war…
.. without getting anything in return.
The agreement would have provided that security guarantee. Zelensky failed to sign for the third time.
At least now, it seems the EU countries might finally get off their asses, even though their meme seems to be to prolong the war by providing the “little Z-man” with more weapons.
Ukraine is run – not ruled – by a democratically elected president who has the full support of his people. The murderous dictators are now in the Kremlin and in the White house.
Ukraine doesn’t have elections
Beyond being flat out wrong, that comment reflects plain ignorance.
“Presidential elections were held in Ukraine on 31 March 2019. As none of the 39 candidates on the ballot received an absolute majority of the initial vote, a runoff was held on 21 April between the top two vote-getters: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a television personality, and Petro Poroshenko, the incumbent president. The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced that Zelenskyy won the second round with 73.22% of the total vote (or 74.96% of the valid vote). The elections were recognized as free and fair by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe . . .
“According to Ukrainian law, the election of the President of Ukraine must take place on the last Sunday of March of the fifth year of the term of the incumbent president which in this cycle fell on 31 March 2019.
— https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Ukrainian_presidential_election
“Presidential elections were scheduled to be held in Ukraine in March or April 2024. However, as martial law has been in effect since 24 February 2022 in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, no elections were held because Ukrainian law does not allow presidential elections to be held when martial law is in effect. Martial law has been extended in 90-day intervals since the full-scale invasion with parliament’s approval, and has most recently (as of February 2025) been extended for the 14th time until 9 May 2025.”
— https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next_Ukrainian_presidential_election
Wow. How to re write history. You really are just a Russian BOT.
You fell for Russia colluuuusion so how bright are you?
Simples still believes!
The colluuuusion clown appears. The Marxist don’t want peace. They are happy with dead Ukrainians 🙁
Hr said he would sign if security was guaranteed, because Putin’s word is not a guarantee. Trump said ‘no guarantees’
There was no negotiation, Trump simply realized he wouldnt get something for nothing and threw his toys out of the pram to try and put the blame for being such a crap negotiator onto Zelenskyy.
Exactly…..
Just curious MC but did your state-controlled media report that Nuland, Vindman and other CIA/deep-statists briefed the garden gnome before sending him in to renege on his agreement with Rubio?
But Zelenskyy is right. Putin cannot be trusted and has reneged on deals. He is also a murderer and a dictator. History tells us that. It’s why Zelenskyy needs the US’s support moving forward in any deal.
As for Zelenskyys performance? He was working in his second language. That is incredibly difficult. You have to not only understand the words, but the nuances of the language. Then you have to reply doing the same.
And, he was under fire from a tag team of bullies who had planned to go down that route all along. All for the cameras.
Zelensky is a brave brave man and while it was difficult to watch I have nothing but respect for him. Trump was right on one thing. Z has few cards to play, but he is going to give it a go rather than capitulate to Putin the thug. Good on him.
One does not “work” in second languages. Social interaction, yes, WITH CARE. The possibilities of misunderstanding are endless. By the time primary actors meet to do the deal, the deal has been done by worker bees and translators. Bringing up new stuff before putting pen to paper, shaking hands and exchanging nice words is NOT DONE without great risk. To do so in public is just plain stupid.
What new stuff? He has been asking for assurance from the US for an age. It is what he needs to help his country survive. You blame him for that?
“assurance from the US”
Why is that the expectation ??
You want something from someone, you have to give something in return.
Seems Zelensky is still on the “gimme-gimme-gimme” game and started arguing about it..
Trump said .. NO !
The reverse is true. Zelenskyy came to trade mineral right in return for security guarantees, Trump refused to give the guarantees. No one does a deal where you give something and get nothing.
Trump is on the Gimme gimme I am bigger than you so kiss my ass and Zelenskyy said.No.
Right again.
There are half a dozen people sitting in rooms in St Petersburg downvoting these posts and presenting Kremlin propaganda here today.
I don’t know if that photo is real, but I have no doubt there are rooms in Russia that look like this. The Russians are hell bent on getting US support for their aim which is to slaughter innocent Ukranians so they can steal their country.
lol…could be the CIA or MI6 😉
He asks for US money and troops. You go fight.
Yes of course Simon. A televised signing ceremony that he demanded be in Washington when he had two prior opportunities to sign was an obvious setup. You TDS victims are right about that much. Clearly the garden gnome is dealing in bad faith under Victoria Nuland’s direction.
I believe English is his third language. How well would Trump or Vance negotiate in their second or third languages.
I’m guessing not well at all.
This was not meant to be a negotiation.
It was meant to be a signing on something that had already been negotiated over several weeks.
Zelensky chose to grandstand instead.. Just dumb. !
This was his 3rd opportunity to sign.. and he stuffed it up.
Trump wouldn’t give guarantees, and instead chose to bully and try and force Zelenskyy to look like he was the problem.
No one has been fooled.’A decent deal was set up by republicans, but Trump reneged on it. Presumably because he is a Russian asset.
Or that’s what every independent commentators is saying.
Sorry guys, Trump isn’t what we thought he was.
The minerals deal was the security guarantee.
Do they have even a first language? Trump is sounding like Biden, but nastier.
. . . or, horrors, more ignorant!
Dipshit! You don’t NEGOTIATE at a signing ceremony and state luncheon.
Either you plan to sign or you don’t ask for the signing ceremony.
Unless of course your aim is to be a drama queen and those are your orders from your warmonger war profiteering masters.
Some reports out there say he was advised by US Senators to NOT sign.
Curiouser and curiouser
There’s a Newsmax report that the lawn gnome had already signed a 100-year exclusive deal for what Trump was proposing but with Sir Stalin three days earlier.
If accurate, that puts a new spin on the ‘special relationship’. Maintaining it would be called S&M.
We really need to exit NATO and the UN. Very honestly, the best thing that could happen to the UK is to be occupied by Russia.
The whole scenario invites this question: Will Co-President Elon Musk eliminate future such meetings with visiting heads-of-state in front of a press corps because they are, now, obviously INEFFICIENT?
Just STFU KnowItAll
It would be foolish in the extreme to pour money into a country that has been under attack from a vicious and unprincipled enemy since 2015 without firm and effective guarantees of peace. . Many of the reserves are in Russian illegally conquered territory anyway.
There are safer and more friendly countries, such as Australia, to buy from. And perhaps US regulations could be relaxed so that the US reserves could be mined?
And the commentator who said that demand for lithium will drop off is quite correct. Safer and more efficient battery technologies are already available.
Well obviously annexing Greenland and Canada with a special 3 day military operation, is far cheaper and morally acceptable because they are all full of drug running nazis and anyway and the rest want to be part of the USA right?
We agree, you have TDS 😉
The last thing we need is a second California. Nobody wants Canada. They’ve got their own garden gnome Chrystia Freeland potentially replacing Blackface Castro. Maybe Ukraine’s garden gnome could get asylum in Ottawa and the two could be displayed in some public garden.
It’s been proposed to sell California to Canada.
That would be awesome