Giving US economic interest in Ukraine is a security guarantee: Vance

US Vice-President JD Vance told Fox News on Monday that giving Washington an economic interest in the future of Ukraine will serve as a security guarantee for the country Russia invaded in February 2022.

President Donald Trump has been seeking a minerals deal with Ukraine — home to a trove of lithium deposits and rare earth minerals — as payback for billions in US aid to Ukraine during Russia's invasion. Trump said he will give more details on the future of the potential deal on Tuesday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's talks with Trump in the White House on Friday broke down in acrimonious exchanges and ended without a formal agreement on that front.

“If you want real security guarantees, if you want to ensure (Russian President) Vladimir Putin does not invade Ukraine again, the very best security guarantee is to give Americans economic upside in the future of Ukraine,” Vance said in the interview.

“That is a way better security guarantee than 20,000 troops from some random country that hasn't fought a war in 30 or 40 years.

“What President Trump has said clearly and consistently is, of course, the door is open so long as Zelensky is willing to seriously talk peace. You can't come into the Oval Office or anywhere else and refuse to even discuss the details of a peace deal.”

Trump has been pushing for a deal to end the war.

France, Britain and potentially other European countries have offered to send troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, something Moscow has already rejected. Zelensky said a ceasefire must carry explicit security guarantees from the West.

Reuters