**France and Ukraine Discuss Use of Ukrainian Minerals**
France has been discussing the use of Ukrainian minerals with Ukraine since October 2024, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said. This comes as the US and Ukraine reached an initial agreement on using Ukraine’s natural resources, including rare earth minerals, oil, and gas.
**France’s Interest in Ukrainian Minerals**
Lecornu explained that the French leadership has been considering this issue since last fall when President Volodymyr Zelensky presented international partnerships on Ukrainian natural resources. The minister said that the idea is to create endurance through transactions involving raw materials.
**US-Ukraine Deal**
The US and Ukraine have finalized a deal on the use of Ukraine’s natural resources, including rare earth minerals, oil, and gas. This follows weeks of negotiations between Zelensky and former President Donald Trump. The agreement aims to create a fund where Ukraine will contribute 50% of proceeds from the “future monetization” of state-owned mineral resources.
**Other Developments**
A Russian delegation arrived in Istanbul for talks with the US. Russia’s Defense Ministry claims that its troops are advancing and pushing Ukrainian forces out of the salient, but Kyiv has not commented on purportedly lost settlements.
**Russian Aggression Continues**
Russia launched 166 Shahed-type attack drones and decoy drones against Ukraine overnight, with 90 shot down over 11 oblasts. Russian troops are actively pushing in eastern Donetsk Oblast, trying to break through Ukraine’s defense and capture three settlements.
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