National security advisor Mike Waltz said the US deserves “payback” from Ukraine for its support against the Russian invasion and that President Volodomyr Zelenskiy would be “very wise” to accept the minerals deal offered last week. Via Bloomberg News:
The US has offered Ukraine a one-sided deal to secure access to Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals after the war, according to two people familiar with the discussions, but has not guaranteed that Ukraine would be permitted to participate in peace talks between the US and Russia about ending the war.
Waltz, speaking on Fox News Sunday, called the deal “protection in and of itself. I can’t think of any better security guarantee than being co-invested with President Trump.”
“The American people deserve to be recouped, deserve to have some kind of payback for the billions they have invested in this war,” he said. “I think that Zelenskiy would be very wise to enter into this agreement with the United States.”
Asked about the cost of the three-year war to Ukrainians, Waltz said, “Look, the Ukrainian people have fought valiantly, they have seen entire cities destroyed, the United States and Europe have supported this effort, but the United States has unquestionably borne the brunt of that support.”
Translation: Whatever, not our problem!
