INTERNACIONAL
US-Ukraine inching toward mineral deal amid last-minute roadblocks
The United States and Ukraine are on the verge of signing a mineral deal after months of fraught and chaotic negotiations, although a last-minute snag still needs to be ironed out.
Ukraine’s prime minister said First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko was flying to Washington on Wednesday to sign the deal, which is central to Kyiv’s efforts to mend ties with President Donald Trump and the White House as the U.S. president tries to secure a peace settlement in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The latest version of the minerals agreement was reached after Kyiv secured a significant concession from the Trump administration that only future military aid would count as the US contribution to the deal, according to the Financial Times.
President Donald Trump gestures as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy looks on at the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 28, 2025. (REUTERS/Nathan Howard)
HERE’S THE REAL REASON TRUMP AND ZELENSKYY’S DEAL BLEW UP IN THE OVAL OFFICE
Trump had indicated in February that he wanted access to Ukraine’s rare earth materials as a condition for continued U.S. support in the war, describing it as reimbursement for the billions of dollars in aid the U.S. has given to Kyiv.
But a famous Oval Office spat with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy set negotiations back. However, the pair met face-to-face in Rome on Saturday at the Pope’s funeral.
According to a draft of the new agreement seen by Reuters, the two countries would create a joint reconstruction fund funded by 50% of profits from Ukraine’s new mineral licenses.
The draft agreement gives the U.S. preferential access to new Ukrainian natural resources deals but does not automatically hand Washington a share of Ukraine’s mineral wealth or any of its gas infrastructure, the draft showed.
Ukraine would not be required to pay back previous aid provided to the war-torn country by the U.S., with only future aid being counted as America’s contribution to the fund.
President Donald Trump meets face-to-face with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the first time since their Oval Office spat in February. (Vatican and Ukraine Ambassador to Holy See)
RUSSIAN ATTACKS ON UKRAINE INTENSIFY IN MAKE-OR-BREAK WEEK FOR PEACE TALKS
«Truly, this is a strategic deal for the creation of an investment partner fund,» Shmyhal said on Ukrainian television. «This is truly an equal and good international deal on joint investment in the development and restoration of Ukraine between the governments of the United States and Ukraine.»
However, a snag arose as Svyrydenko’s plane headed to Washington, with U.S. officials reportedly demanding that Ukraine sign three documents at once—the framework, a detailed fund agreement and a technical document—which Ukraine says is not immediately possible due to required parliamentary ratification, according to the Financial Times citing three people briefed on the situation.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s team told her she should «be ready to sign all agreements, or go back home,» the Financial Times reports, citing three people familiar with the matter.
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters carry a body of the victim following Russia’s missile attack that killed at least 24 civilians in Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP) (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)
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The U.S. is seeking access to more than 20 raw materials deemed strategically critical to its interests, including some non-minerals such as oil and natural gas. Among them are Ukraine’s deposits of titanium, which is used for making aircraft wings and other aerospace manufacturing, and uranium, which is used for nuclear power, medical equipment and weapons. Ukraine also has lithium, graphite and manganese, which are used in electric vehicle batteries.
Unlike an earlier draft, the deal would not conflict with Ukraine’s path towards European Union membership — a key provision for Kyiv.
The two sides signed a memorandum, published on April 18, as an initial step towards clinching an accord on developing mineral resources in Ukraine. In the memorandum, they said they aimed to complete talks by April 26 and to sign the deal as soon as possible.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
INTERNACIONAL
El dictador Miguel Díaz-Canel dijo que mantiene conversaciones con EEUU en medio de la crisis energética de Cuba
El dictador de Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, confirmó este viernes que su régimen sostiene conversaciones con representantes del gobierno de Estados Unidos con el objetivo de buscar soluciones a las diferencias existentes entre ambos países. Luego del anuncio, brindó una conferencia de prensa.
Las declaraciones se produjeron tras recientes intercambios orientados a identificar y resolver los principales temas que afectan la relación entre La Habana y Washington.
Según lo expresado por Díaz-Canel, las charlas con EEUU se desarrollan en un contexto internacional que ha facilitado el acercamiento. El cubano sostuvo que el propósito principal es “identificar cuáles son los problemas bilaterales que necesitan una solución a partir de la gravedad que tienen, de la incidencia que tienen”. Además, subrayó la importancia de encontrar soluciones que beneficien a los pueblos de ambas naciones.
“Hace más de tres meses que no entra ningún barco de combustible”, sostuvo en declaraciones a la prensa; al tiempo que acotó: “Que no ingrese petróleo genera un impacto inconmensurable en la vida de nuestro pueblo”.
Preguntado sobre los contactos con la Administración Trump, remarcó: “Estos son procesos que se hacen con mucha discreción. Son procesos largos. Todo lleva un tiempo. Estamos en las fases iniciales de ese proceso“.
“Funcionarios cubanos sostuvieron recientemente conversaciones con representantes del gobierno de EEUU para buscar, por la vía del diálogo, soluciones para las diferencias que tenemos. El objetivo es detectar los problemas bilaterales, cuáles son las vías, ver si hay voluntad de las partes y encontrar áreas de cooperación”, describió.
Luego sostuvo que “es todo un proceso muy sensible que se aborda con responsabilidad y mucha seriedad. En esos intercambios hemos expresado nuestra voluntad de continuar el proceso bajo el principio de la igualdad y el respeto de ambos países».
En un mensaje drigido a la nación minutos antes de la rueda de prensa, el dictador enfatizó en la necesidad de determinar la disposición de ambas partes para concretar acciones conjuntas. Entre los puntos abordados, reiteró la identificación de áreas de cooperación para enfrentar amenazas comunes y garantizar la seguridad y la paz, tanto en los dos países como en la región de América Latina y el Caribe.
“Identificar áreas de cooperación para enfrentar las amenazas y garantizar la seguridad y la paz de ambas naciones, y también en la región donde desarrollamos nuestra vida, que es la región de América Latina y el Caribe”, detalló Díaz-Canel.
En su intervención, recordó que no es práctica del liderazgo de la revolución cubana responder a “campañas especulativas” sobre este tipo de temas, dado el carácter “sensible” de las negociaciones. “Se trata de un tema que se desarrolla como parte de un proceso muy sensible”, insistió.
El líder cubano aseguró que, en los intercambios, la parte de Cuba ha expresado su voluntad de llevar adelante el proceso sobre la base del respeto a los sistemas políticos de ambos Estados, así como de la soberanía y la autodeterminación de sus gobiernos. “Esto se ha planteado tomando en cuenta un sentido de reciprocidad y de apego al derecho internacional”, puntualizó.
“La culpa no es del gobierno, no es de la revolución. La culpa es del bloqueo enérgetico que nos han impuesto”, justificó.
Las conversaciones entre La Habana y Washington se producen en un momento en el que la isla está sumida en una profunda crisis política, económica y social.
El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, había asegurado en varias ocasiones durante las últimas semanas que representantes de su gobierno estaban manteniendo contactos con autoridades de la isla. La Habana lo había negado.
Este jueves, el régimen anunció la excarcelación de 51 presos después de mantener contactos con El Vaticano. El comunicado del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores sobre esta decisión no hacía ninguna mención a EEUU.
Corporate Events,South America / Central America,Government / Politics
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Top House Republicans are eyeing a surge in military funding as the U.S. continues its joint operation with Israel against Iran, and some are arguing that a second «big, beautiful bill» is the vehicle to get it done.
Republicans are discussing the possibility of supplemental funding to aid the U.S. effort as Iran continues to retaliate against allies in the region.
Senior House GOP lawmakers told Fox News Digital that the resulting heightened national security environment means that Congress has a responsibility to ensure the Armed Forces are prepared for whatever threats may arise. At the same time, they’re skeptical that Democrats will provide the votes necessary to pass such a funding bill through traditional means.
«They are certainly not going to spend an additional dime on the military, on security, on any of the things that we care about,» Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital of the opposing party. «The threats around the world have never been higher. They’ve never been greater. And we have to recapitalize after four just disastrous years of President Biden completely decimating our military.»
OPERATION EPIC FURY SURVIVES SENATE CHALLENGE AS REPUBLICANS CLOSE RANKS BEHIND TRUMP
Mourners reach out to coffins during a funeral for people killed during the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military campaign in Isfahan, Iran, on March 5, 2026. (Payman Shahsanaei/ISNA via AP)
«So this conflict right now, and the future of our country and our Western values, have to be secured by additional defense spending, which can only happen in a reconciliation bill.»
Republicans passed a sweeping tax and policy bill last summer dubbed President Donald Trump’s landmark One Big, Beautiful Bill Act. It was done via the budget reconciliation process, which allows the party in power to change broad swaths of fiscal law while sidelining the minority party — in this case, Democrats.
It makes that possible by lowering the threshold for advancing legislation in the Senate from 60 votes to a simple majority, lining it up with the House.
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: GOP TARGETS AFFORDABILITY WITH RECONCILIATION 2.0 PLAN AHEAD OF MIDTERMS
House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, said he believed an additional funding package for Iran was inevitable but added, «The politics are such that there’s no guarantee that the supplemental will pass.»
«On top of that, the president has been talking about a big capital investment to modernize the military,» Arrington told Fox News Digital.
«If we can’t get Democrats to support either of those endeavors — I think we’ve got a better chance of getting support on an emergency supplemental than we do on a one-time capital investment — but I think that reconciliation may be the only train leaving the station that could address those important things.»
Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger speaks during a press conference with other members of the Republican Study Committee as well as members of House Republican leadership in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 28, 2025. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Pfluger also signaled a broader path: «Is it specific to Iran or is it more general and more broad to just increasing defense spending and making sure that our military has what they need to deter Iran and others? I think that’s probably the more likely path.»
However, he noted that reconciliation meant that spending would likely have to be offset by cuts elsewhere, something that could appease fiscal hawks wary of bloated spending levels.
«So where do we find the savings? I’ve got some ideas on that. I think it’s related to fraud. I think there’s a lot of money to be saved when we look at fraud, like what happened in Minnesota with the daycares and the billions of dollars that went out the window there,» Pfluger said.
THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO CONGRESS’ OPTIONS ON HAMSTRINGING TRUMP’S WAR POWERS IN IRAN
The idea of a second reconciliation bill has already been met with skepticism by a significant number of Republicans, many of whom have cited the GOP’s razor-thin majorities in the House and Senate.
But a senior House Republican who also spoke with Fox News Digital argued that the situation in Iran could bring the unity Republicans need.
«That would be the biggest motivating factor in another reconciliation bill,» the lawmaker said.
Chairman Rep. Jodey Arrington speaks at a news conference after the House narrowly passed a bill forwarding President Donald Trump’s agenda at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on May 22, 2025. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
And Pfluger pointed out that there was precedent — Democrats passed two reconciliation bills themselves when they last controlled Congress at the beginning of former President Joe Biden’s term.
«We should remind ourselves that they stuck together, and they were able to do that. So should we,» he said.
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But Arrington warned that lawmakers would have to move fast for something to be attainable.
«The window is closing, and I don’t see us being able to do a reconciliation bill if we get past the spring, because we’ll be too close to the election,» Arrington said.
house of representatives politics,politics,spending,war with iran
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