**US Treasury Secretary to Visit Ukraine This Week**
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will visit Ukraine this week to discuss a potential deal between Kyiv and Washington on critical minerals. The announcement was made by Bloomberg, citing undisclosed sources.
Just hours after the news broke, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that Bessent would indeed be visiting Ukraine. “I am sending Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent to Ukraine to meet President Zelensky,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
This visit comes as the US is seeking to negotiate a deal with Ukraine in exchange for continued support from Washington. The two sides are reportedly discussing an arrangement that would grant U.S. companies access to Ukraine’s rare earth mineral reserves.
**Russian Invasion Continues**
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues, with both sides experiencing heavy losses. Overnight, Russia launched 124 Shahed-type combat and decoy drones, but Ukrainian air defenses successfully shot down 57 of them across 11 oblasts.
In a separate attack, Russian forces targeted gas infrastructure overnight and into the morning, further straining Ukraine’s energy grid.
**Other Developments**
* British fintech company Revolut has officially launched its services in Ukraine after a beta testing phase.
* Chinese refiners are being offered Russian ESPO crude at discounted prices due to concerns over U.S. sanctions.
* Transparency International highlighted that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has further entrenched authoritarianism.
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