Ashes on Air

Unraveling Trump’s Ukraine Deal: Zelenskyy’s Sacrifice, Starmer’s Leverage

An investigation into the February 27-28, 2025, diplomatic standoff reveals Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s strategic mediation in a U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal amid Trump’s peace initiative and Starmer’s calls for European security. Tensions rise as Trump downplays NATO’s relevance while offering economic incentives, leaving Ukraine’s future uncertain.

Ashes
4–6 minutes

An in-depth investigation into the February 27-28, 2025, diplomatic showdown, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy leverages his leadership to mediate a U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal amid President Donald Trump’s peace push, while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer presses for European security guarantees in a tense transatlantic standoff.

On February 27, 2025, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, building on a phone call detailed in a White House statement (https://www.whitehouse.gov). Trump offered condolences for Starmer’s brother’s death and well wishes for the British Royal Family, then discussed the release of Israeli-British national Emily Damari from Hamas captivity and a “fair bilateral economic relationship.” Ukraine wasn’t mentioned, but the trade and security focus signals Starmer’s intent to anchor Trump’s Russia-Ukraine peace efforts to European stability. This precedes Trump’s February 28 signing of a U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal with Zelenskyy, confirmed by NPR (https://www.npr.org) on February 26, 2025.

British sources, per The Times (https://www.thetimes.co.uk) on February 26, note Starmer seeks a U.S. “backstop”—military or financial pledges—to bolster any accord, countering Trump’s rejection of Ukraine’s NATO bid. Reuters (https://www.reuters.com) on February 25 quotes Trump saying Ukraine “can forget about” NATO, highlighting his focus on a swift resolution over long-term alliances. Trump’s February 25 claim that the deal is “very big” (The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com) aligns with his “America First” ethos, shifting from grants to repayable aid—a stance he emphasized on February 20 (Reuters, https://www.reuters.com), frustrated with unchecked spending. British Defence Secretary John Healey told Times Radio (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/radio) on February 26, “If this helps shape the long-term peace that’s required in Ukraine, then that’s a good thing,” reflecting cautious UK optimism.

Zelenskyy’s mediation is strategic and sacrificial. My February 23, 2025, AshesOnAir.org article (https://ashesonair.org/2025/02/23/breaking-news-high-stakes-zelenskyy-meditates-between-trump-and-peace/) flagged his readiness to resign for peace or NATO membership. In Kyiv, marking three years since Russia’s invasion, he said, “If it is peace for Ukraine, and if you really want me to leave my post, I’m ready,” or he’d trade it “for NATO membership, if such conditions exist, immediately.” This fuels his demand for security guarantees in Trump’s deal, which The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com) on February 24, 2025, shows offers vague U.S. “support” but no troop or aid commitments. Zelenskyy has warned, “Peace without guarantees is just a pause for Russia to reload” (The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com, February 26), a fear borne out by Kharkiv shelling (BBC News, https://www.bbc.com, February 26).

Trump’s deal offsets U.S. aid—estimated at $100-$120 billion, not the $500 billion he claimed (TIME, https://time.com, February 23)—with Ukraine’s minerals. On February 17, he vouched for Putin, saying, “He’ll keep his word” (Fox News, https://www.foxnews.com), and on February 21, reversed blaming Zelenskyy for the war (Reuters, https://www.reuters.com), after Zelenskyy cited a “disinformation bubble” (AshesOnAir, February 23). Bloomberg (https://www.bloomberg.com) on February 24 details access to Ukraine’s lithium and rare earths, easing U.S. reliance on China (80% of minerals, per USGS). U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News (https://www.foxnews.com) on February 23, “We make money if the Ukrainian people make money,” framing it as a “win-win.” X user @MAGA4Prosperity posted on February 25, “Trump’s deal gets us minerals and peace—smart move,” offering U.S. support, while @UKRTruthSeeker countered on February 26, “Trump trusts Putin more than Zelenskyy trusts his own generals.” U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia, excluding Ukraine (Newsweek, https://www.newsweek.com, February 23), bolster Trump’s peace-now, repay-later strategy.

European leaders resist this unilateralism. French President Emmanuel Macron’s February 24 proposal for 15,000 European peacekeepers (Le Monde, https://www.lemonde.fr) aligns with Starmer’s backstop push, per Sky News (https://www.skynews.com) on February 26, aiming to secure Ukraine’s borders post-ceasefire. Trump’s EU tariff threats (The Financial Times, https://www.ft.com, February 23) and the White House call’s trade focus suggest negotiation leverage—Starmer could lock in U.S. concessions. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Trump’s plan “very selfish” (The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com, February 4), arguing Ukraine needs minerals for rebuilding. Zelenskyy’s February 23 plea to Europe, noted in AshesOnAir, and upcoming Germany-Ukraine talks underscore his bridging role. Oleksandr Kraiev of Ukrainian Prism told NPR (https://www.npr.org) on February 26, “This latest draft comes with investment opportunities for Ukraine… That’s the main reason why the Ukrainian government is ready to sign it,” hinting at mutual benefit.

February 27-28, 2025, could reshape the war. Starmer’s talks probe U.S. intent; Zelenskyy’s signing tests Trump’s vision. I’ve tracked this at AshesOnAir—Trump’s deal lacks security teeth, but his aid-to-minerals pivot offers economic logic, as Bessent and Kraiev suggest. X user @KINGTRUMPUSLIAR asked on February 22, “Why’s Zelenskyy even at the table if this is just Trump’s cash grab?” while @PeaceNowOrBust wrote on February 25, “Minerals for peace? Sounds like Ukraine’s getting sold out.” Yet, as I warned on February 23, Zelenskyy’s resignation gambit could be Ukraine’s last stand—will it force peace or NATO? The next 48 hours will show if this holds or unravels.

Published: February 27, 2025

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One response to “Unraveling Trump’s Ukraine Deal: Zelenskyy’s Sacrifice, Starmer’s Leverage”

  1. Trump Axes Ukraine Aid: Power Shifts Fast – Ashes on Air Avatar
    Trump Axes Ukraine Aid: Power Shifts Fast – Ashes on Air

    […] unraveling’s been stark. On February 27, “Unraveling Trump’s Ukraine Deal” bared Zelensky’s desperate play: pausing NATO ambitions and ceding borderlands near Poland for […]

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