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Russia is seeking to derail the US-Ukraine mining deal because it involves Washington’s long-term investment and strengthens Ukraine’s sovereignty. This is stated in a new report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
According to analysts, the Kremlin is resorting to a disinformation campaign and trying to offer its own alternatives to prevent the signing of the agreement. In particular, Moscow claims that the agreement is allegedly not beneficial to Ukraine, while trying to make a more favourable offer to the United States.
“The Kremlin is spending significant resources to undermine and discredit the Ukraine-US agreement, which indicates that it is a serious obstacle to achieving Putin’s strategic goals in Ukraine,” ISW said.
Russian officials are seeking not only to block the deal but also to use the situation to influence further negotiations between Kyiv and Washington. Moscow is trying to prevent the expansion of Ukraine’s economic partnership with the United States, as it strengthens Kyiv’s position not only in the economic sphere but also in the geopolitical arena.
Is the Kremlin preparing the ground for future concessions?
According to the ISW, Putin sees the breakdown of this agreement as a step towards a possible termination of US military assistance to Ukraine. The Kremlin hopes that, amid its own economic and mobilisation problems, it will be able to use the situation to obtain territorial concessions from Ukraine in future negotiations.
“Russia is seeking to buy time to minimise long-term losses and consolidate its position before economic challenges and mobilisation difficulties begin to significantly affect its military capabilities in 2025,” ISW experts believe.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier that the agreement with the United States provides for the creation of an investment fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine and is beneficial for both parties. On Friday, a signing ceremony was to take place in Washington with the participation of the leaders of the two countries. However, after the negotiations ended unexpectedly, the signing of the document was cancelled.
Text for Telegram:
🇺🇦 The Kremlin is trying to block the Ukrainian-American mining agreement! 🇷🇺❌
Moscow is afraid of long-term US investment in Ukraine and is trying to prevent us from strengthening our sovereignty. The Kremlin is using disinformation and competing proposals to derail the deal. ISW analysts believe that Russia is trying to force the US to stop military assistance to Ukraine.
Read more in the ISW report:
