Trump-Ukraine Minerals Deal: Sordid Logic

The Trump administration needed something to show for the pressure campaign it has put on Ukraine — pressure from which Moscow has been spared. The “minerals deal” the administration muscled its partner into accepting will have to suffice. Indeed, to hear administration officials talk about the agreement, it might as well be the peace deal itself.

“This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump Administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.

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The Trump administration needed something to show for the pressure campaign it has put on Ukraine — pressure from which Moscow has been spared. The “minerals deal” the administration muscled its partner into accepting will have to suffice. Indeed, to hear administration officials talk about the agreement, it might as well be the peace deal itself.

“This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump Administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.