R to L: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Donald Trump at the Élysée Presidential Palace, Paris, December 7, 2024 (Sarah Meyssonnier/ AFP)

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EA w TVP World: Europe is Back in Ukraine Talks; A Ukraine-US Minerals Deal?

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I joined Times Radio’s World in 10 VideoCast on Friday to evaluate the latest maneuvers by Ukraine and Europe to get the Trump Administration’s support against Russia’s 38-month invasion.

I explain how a Ukraine-US “memorandum of understanding” on rare earth minerals is a sign of competing factions within the Trump Administration: the American “adults in the room” standing against the pro-Kremlin and anti-Kyiv rhetoric of Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and real estate developer Steve Witkoff.

I note that this split is unlikely to lead to halt of Russia’s invasion, given Vladimir Putin’s determination to conquer Ukraine and remove the Zelensky Government.

However, the Kremlin’s rejection of a ceasefire has given Ukraine and Europe the diplomatic high ground and the space to work with some Trump officials.

I conclude, “This is still a marathon, not a sprint.”