Trump wants US troops to guard Ukraine’s
rare earths – NBC
The US could send troops to guard Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, which it wants as repayment for American aid, NBC reported on Saturday, citing unnamed officials.
The report followed recent statements made by US President Donald Trump, who demanded the “equivalent of $500 billion worth of rare earths” from Ukraine in exchange for what he estimated to be “more than $300 billion” Washington had provided in aid since the escalation of Kiev’s conflict with Moscow in 2022.
The majority of which aided the destruction of Ukraine and came right back to the USA War Industries. America should be committing $500 billion dollars to rebuild Ukraine without any strings attached if the government had any conscience at all.
Russia will never agree to having American troops in Ukraine!
Trump’s demand was presented to Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a contract proposal he brought to their meeting in Kiev earlier this week. According to multiple reports, under the deal, the US is to be granted 50% ownership of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals as reimbursement for US aid.
If Zelensky agrees to this, he must be getting a big chunk of it in his Swiss bank account.
However, according to four officials who spoke to NBC, the proposed contract also signaled Washington’s intention to deploy American troops to the sites as a protection detail. The deployment could reportedly come after Russia and Ukraine reached a deal to end the ongoing conflict.
Washington’s position on the deployment of troops to Ukraine is currently unclear. Speaking at a gathering of Kiev’s supporters in Brussels earlier this week, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ruled out sending American forces there following any security deal. However, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Thursday, US Vice President J.D. Vance indicated that the possibility of sending American troops to Ukraine remained “on the table” if Moscow refused to engage in good-faith negotiations.
Zelensky has so far rejected the US bid to take ownership of 50% of his country’s rare earth minerals. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, he said the US proposal so far lacked “security guarantees” for Kiev and was not “in the interests of sovereign Ukraine.”
“For me it is very important that there is a connection between some kind of security guarantees and some kind of investment… If we want to sign something we have to understand that it will work and it will be very positive for both nations,” he stated. Zelensky indicated that the document Bessent presented to him will need to be amended to reflect Ukraine’s interests, noting he would like to have a mutually beneficial partnership with the US as opposed to simply giving his country’s natural resources away.
There are over a dozen elements considered to be rare earths, and their applications range from lighting and batteries to nuclear power and lasers. According to Ukraine’s Institute of Geology, the country’s deposits include lanthanum, cerium, neodymium, erbium and yttrium. However, Zelensky recently admitted that a large chunk of Ukraine’s mineral-rich territories, some 20%, is currently under Russian control.
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Ukrainian F-16 downed by friendly fire – WSJ
Ukraine may have accidentally shot down one of its own F-16 fighter jets due to the Biden administration’s decision to withhold critical coordination technology, according to a column by a member of The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board on Friday.
The crash in late August killed Ukrainian pilot Aleksey Mes, 30, who had recently returned from training in Denmark. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said at the time that an F-16 fighter jet had crashed while repelling a Russian missile attack. Moscow did not comment on the incident. An investigation is ongoing.
The crash is likely to have been a case of friendly fire involving Ukraine’s western-provided Patriot air defense system, columnist Jillian Kay Melchior claimed, citing a Ukrainian lawmaker and other sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The allegation was first made by Ukrainian lawmaker Maryana Bezuglaya days after the crash. Melchior cited a source with firsthand knowledge of the investigation as saying that physical evidence at the crash site suggested the jet was shot down by a missile.
According to Melchior, the Biden administration withheld the Link 16 tactical network, a key technology that helps ground-based air defense systems distinguish between friendly and enemy aircraft. Link 16 provides real-time situational awareness by connecting all network members, including aircraft, ground units, and air defense.
Neither Ukraine’s F-16s nor its Patriot systems were equipped with Link 16 when the jets arrived in Ukraine in mid-2024, the column noted.
”Link 16 is such a vital and sensitive tool that the US might have been reluctant to provide it – in keeping with the abundance of caution that characterized the Biden administration’s Ukraine policy.”
While the US has been one of Ukraine’s largest military backers, delivery of advanced weaponry was often delayed over concerns about escalating the conflict with Russia. Washington initially hesitated to provide long-range missiles, advanced air defense systems, and fighter jets, only to approve their transfer after months of debate.
The F-16s, delivered to Kiev by Denmark and the Netherlands, were seen as a potential game-changer. However, their effectiveness has been limited by outdated radar systems and the absence of Link 16. Ukraine has received fewer than 20 F-16s so far, and the crash in August was the first reported loss of one of the aircraft.
Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that F-16s would not be able to change the situation on the battlefield. If the jets are used against Russia from airfields in third countries, Moscow will consider them legitimate targets for its armed forces, he warned.
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Switzerland refuses to grant amnesty to citizens fighting in Ukraine
Switzerland’s parliament has reaffirmed its ban on citizens taking part in foreign military conflicts by rejecting a proposal to grant amnesty to those who have chosen to fight in Ukraine. This decision follows the nation’s confirmation of the first death of a Swiss combatant in the ongoing conflict.
The Legal Affairs Commission of the National Council had earlier voted against the initiative introduced by Social Democratic Party deputy Jon Pult. The proposal sought to exempt Swiss citizens fighting in Ukraine from legal prosecution.
“The prohibition of participating as a volunteer in combat led by foreign forces is a fundamental principle of Swiss law. Granting amnesty or proceeding with rehabilitations in ongoing conflicts would constitute an undesirable political recognition of mercenarism,” the commission stated in a release published on the Swiss Parliament’s website on Friday.
The commission stressed that Swiss law strictly prohibits nationals from serving in foreign armed forces, reinforcing the country’s long-standing policy of neutrality. As a result, Swiss citizens who participate in such conflicts will continue to face legal consequences upon their return.
Ukraine has been actively recruiting foreign fighters since the escalation of the conflict with Moscow in 2022, as its military struggles with desertion and battlefield losses. Despite efforts such as lowering the conscription age and toughening penalties for draft evasion, Kiev faces ongoing personnel shortages due to continued Russian advances.
Earlier this week the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) has confirmed the death of a citizen of the nation who had joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU)—the first officially acknowledged case since the conflict escalated. The AFU had earlier informed the Swiss embassy in Kiev about the individual’s probable death in combat. The details regarding the person’s unit or deployment remain undisclosed.
The total number of Swiss nationals fighting in Ukraine remains uncertain. According to the country’s military justice authorities, last year 13 investigations were ongoing against citizens suspected of mercenary activities in the country.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported in March that 57 Swiss nationals had fought in Ukraine, with 30 reportedly killed. Moscow claims that 13,387 foreign fighters have joined Ukraine’s forces, with nearly 6,000 killed, primarily from Poland, Georgia, the United States, Canada, and the UK.
In January Russia’s Investigative Committee said more than 580 foreign fighters have been placed on the international wanted list for their involvement in Ukraine.
Western media often portray such individuals as selfless volunteers aiding Ukraine’s defense. Moscow, however, considers foreign nationals fighting for Ukraine to be mercenaries, labeling them legitimate military targets and subject to prosecution.
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