The iconic picture of Presidents Trump and Zelensky sat face to face in the Vatican discussing only they know what, has in a matter of only days materialised into Ukraine’s long-term security saviour.
First things first. The US-Ukraine trade deal was months in the making, and has suffered several public missteps along the way – most notably during Trump and Vance’s shameful and very public dressing down of Zelensky in February to the world’s press gallery. The diplomatic manoeuvring and back-door channels utilised since then has been nothing short of impressive, as both sides privately wanted to get a deal quickly back on the table.
Now as with all deals of this significance, the devil really will be in the detail. What we do know however is that this is by no means an official military-security deal for Ukraine. However, what it most certainly does provide is a blueprint for long-term US economic interdependence with a sovereign, free, and independent Ukrainian state.
That should be seen as a net win regardless, especially when the optics coming out of Washington have been at times incredibly poor to say the least.
Given that a significant portion – up to one quarter – of Ukraine’s potentially multi-trillion dollar rare earth mineral deposits are located in occupied territories, it now binds the US to a multi-decade strategy of ensuring peace, if it wishes to capitalise on what is potentially one of the most lucrative and strategically significant trade deals in history.
And for that reason alone, Europe should be thanking Trump. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy – historically no friend of Trump, of course – has already rushed to endorse the deal on X. More may follow suit, but they will do so under veiled breath.
Tying Washington to Ukraine’s security for generations to come is a demonstrably more favourable outcome for Ukraine than any European notion of a “reassurance force”, the details of which are still be argued about across European capitals, as country after country fails to provide any meaningful plan to provide for Ukraine’s security.
The current military plan has been watered down so much, from an initial land deterrent force monitoring the 600 mile long frontline, to protecting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, to now merely a training force. The plan has no teeth, no deterrent effect, no ability to provide mass, and no credibility.
In stark contrast, Trump’s signed and delivered agreement with Ukraine provides far more of a deterrent to Russian aggression knowing highly sensitive US commercial and strategic interests will be safeguarded against in a way that the squabbling Europeans could only dream.
Robert Clark is a Fellow at the Yorktown Institute, a trans-Atlantic security think-tank in Washington, DC
The iconic picture of Presidents Trump and Zelensky sat face to face in the Vatican discussing only they know what, has in a matter of only days materialised into Ukraine’s long-term security saviour.
First things first. The US-Ukraine trade deal was months in the making, and has suffered several public missteps along the way – most notably during Trump and Vance’s shameful and very public dressing down of Zelensky in February to the world’s press gallery. The diplomatic manoeuvring and back-door channels utilised since then has been nothing short of impressive, as both sides privately wanted to get a deal quickly back on the table.
Now as with all deals of this significance, the devil really will be in the detail. What we do know however is that this is by no means an official military-security deal for Ukraine. However, what it most certainly does provide is a blueprint for long-term US economic interdependence with a sovereign, free, and independent Ukrainian state.
That should be seen as a net win regardless, especially when the optics coming out of Washington have been at times incredibly poor to say the least.
Given that a significant portion – up to one quarter – of Ukraine’s potentially multi-trillion dollar rare earth mineral deposits are located in occupied territories, it now binds the US to a multi-decade strategy of ensuring peace, if it wishes to capitalise on what is potentially one of the most lucrative and strategically significant trade deals in history.
And for that reason alone, Europe should be thanking Trump. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy – historically no friend of Trump, of course – has already rushed to endorse the deal on X. More may follow suit, but they will do so under veiled breath.
Tying Washington to Ukraine’s security for generations to come is a demonstrably more favourable outcome for Ukraine than any European notion of a “reassurance force”, the details of which are still be argued about across European capitals, as country after country fails to provide any meaningful plan to provide for Ukraine’s security.
The current military plan has been watered down so much, from an initial land deterrent force monitoring the 600 mile long frontline, to protecting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, to now merely a training force. The plan has no teeth, no deterrent effect, no ability to provide mass, and no credibility.
In stark contrast, Trump’s signed and delivered agreement with Ukraine provides far more of a deterrent to Russian aggression knowing highly sensitive US commercial and strategic interests will be safeguarded against in a way that the squabbling Europeans could only dream.
Robert Clark is a Fellow at the Yorktown Institute, a trans-Atlantic security think-tank in Washington, DC