**Trump Administration May Make Simplified Deal with Ukraine**
The Trump administration is considering a simplified deal with Ukraine on natural resources extraction. This comes after US President Donald Trump said he wants to “resurrect” talks on the agreement.
According to Reuters, the revised approach would involve the US taking a 50% interest in all of Ukraine’s natural resources, including critical minerals, oil, and gas. The deal would also include stakes in port and other critical infrastructure through a joint investment fund.
**Previous Talks Faltered**
Earlier this month, Trump said he wanted to strike a deal with Ukraine involving access to rare earth minerals in exchange for continued aid. He later claimed that Kyiv had “essentially agreed” to a $500 billion resource deal. However, talks faltered due to concerns over revenue sharing and other issues.
**Legal Obstacles**
Postponing discussion on the agreement’s details would help Washington bypass numerous legal and logistical obstacles. This would give the US time to consider issues like revenue sharing at a later stage.
**Ukraine Open to Deal**
Sources told Reuters that Ukraine is open to concluding the deal but hopes it will be less “rapacious” than the original draft. The Ukrainian government has expressed concerns over the potential impact on the country‘s economy and security.
**Trump’s Motives**
The Trump administration reportedly wants to make a deal before potentially authorizing more US military aid for Kyiv or moving forward with an attempt to broker formal Ukraine-Russia peace talks. This would be seen as a way to publicly announce that the US is getting back the money allocated for assistance.
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