Minerals and Reconstruction
The United States and Ukraine have signed a long-anticipated deal that paves the way for continued U.S. investment in Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s ongoing invasion while guaranteeing the United States a share of both Ukraine’s rare earth minerals and the resulting profit from extracting those minerals. The deal, which was delayed for more than two months after a frosty February meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, was signed by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.
Specifically, the deal establishes a joint investment fund into which the U.S. will make contributions for the purpose of Ukraine’s national defense, and Ukraine will deposit profits from its mining of rare earth minerals. The two countries will share revenues from the investment fund, and the U.S. will have preferential access to the resulting minerals, which are used in electronics and other products, and are mostly mined in China.
Analysis and eternal perspective: Your view on the merits of this deal will almost certainly be significantly shaped by your underlying view of U.S. involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war. Decisionmakers in Washington are sharply divided on both the war and the deal, with some saying U.S. military aid to Ukraine is vital to stopping Russian President Vladimir Putin and this deal provides the U.S. a critical asset (rare earth minerals) in its national and economic security plan, while others say the war and the deal further entangle the U.S. in foreign affairs at great expense.
There are valid components of each argument, and our mission here at The Equipped is not one of fully adjudicating the dispute, but rather of considering the facts with a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7) and applying the lens of the True and the beautiful.
On the facts, there can be no mistaking that the ongoing war is one of aggression, invasion, and territorial lust on the part of President Putin. He has a long history of similar actions, and there is every likelihood his reign will continue to be marked by an appetite to add land to the Russian domain. It is also true that the U.S. has already provided significantly more aid to Ukraine than any other nation in the world. Finally, access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals is a legitimate incentive for the U.S. as it tries to blunt China’s economic and security advantage that stems from controlling such a large share of the minerals.
Each component of this story is important and worth careful consideration. We are to be pursuers of peace (Ps. 34:14). We are also to be a voice for the oppressed and for justice (Is. 1:17). Finally, every authority has a sacred duty to safeguard those within their charge and will be held to account for their actions (Heb. 13:17). These instructions are not always easy to pursue together, and this is a story on which your brother or sister in Christ is very likely to have a strongly held opinion that differs from yours. It is a chance for us to mutually exercise our muscle of interacting around sincerely held differences with grace and love.
The following article originally appeared in Thann’s “The Equipped” Weekly Newsletter. For more information on Thann’s weekly email, click here.