US Treasury Secretary considers minerals deal beneficial for Ukraine, expects its signing
The minerals deal proposed by the US to Ukraine is beneficial for both countries, said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, he hopes for its signing in the near future, but suspects resistance from those who currently receive money from these resources.
He said in an interview with Tucker Carlson on Friday they expect the Ukrainian technical team early next week, and hopes that we can sign this agreement and return to a mutually beneficial situation.
Bessent emphasized that this agreement was part of US President Donald Trump's peace plan, and it is aimed at making the US and Ukraine partners and bringing them closer.
He said that would be a symbol for the Russian leadership that the United States is not abandoning Ukraine, but importantly, it will show the American people that we have an economic interest and that we are not just providing huge grants, as was the case in the history of USAID. So, Ukraine is succeeding, we are succeeding, and this can be a long-term partnership, the US Treasury Secretary explained.
He once again expressed regret that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had thwarted the opportunity to sign this agreement during a meeting with Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, but emphasized that the mood to sign it remains.
He thinks if we go back to the deal, one of the best things about the deal is that it guarantees that the money will go to the American people and the Ukrainian people. This was not one of those predatory Chinese deals... here's a loan, you can never pay it back, we'll get this. This is a real economic partnership. They invest assets, we can invest loans from our foreign banks, we invest American know-how, and we don't make money until they make money, Bessent emphasized.
He believes that people who currently receive money from these resources do not like this deal, and this is part of the problem.
At the same time, the head of the US Treasury Department expressed hope that the delay in signing the deal was a mistake, not a feature of the system, and it has been corrected.
