Foreign Affairs

The rare earth deposits that are subjec to this deal are located mainly in the Donbass and Zaporizzhia regions of Ukraine, currently annexed by Russia, occupied by Russia or in a war zone.

By signing a deal with Trump, no matter the terms, Zelensky insured that it would be in Trump's interest to retain these areas in Ukraine's control.

I don't know whether Trump, in light of his close ties with Putin, overlooked this obvious geopolitical eventuality, or whether he has some ulterior motives to undermine Putin. I am inclined to believe that Trump is not so stupid and blind as to overlook the implications of this deal for Ukraine and Russia, and that he is preparing some sort of a surprise for his buddy in Moscow. No idea where this is going to lead, but the implications are provoking.