Ukraine and US minerals deal on hold after meeting appals world

UPDATE
Australia’s Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers has described Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “a hero”, saying Australia “couldn’t be more supportive” of the Ukrainian President after Mr Zelenskyy’s extraordinary meeting with US President Trump at the White House.

Mr Chalmers told Sky News that Mr Zelenskyy was the democratically elected leader of a “very courageous country”, which was standing up to Russian aggression, and that the Ukrainian President “would go down in history” for his bravery in his position.

Military assistance to Ukraine was “under constant review”, the Treasurer said, on top of the current total of $1.5 billion, with $1.3 billion allocated to military assistance.

“We’ve been very enthusiastic, very willing supporters of the military effort in Ukraine, we keep that under constant review,” Mr Chalmers said.

“When we can afford to do that, given all our other priorities in the budget, we try and do what we can.”

The Ukrainian leader was due to meet with King Charles III on Sunday evening in London after it is understood an invitation was extended to him to visit the royal family’s royal estate at Sandringham.

Late last week British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer invited Mr Trump for an “unprecedented” second state visit to the UK which has now caused controversy as to whether this invitation should be withdrawn following the trainwreck encounter between Mr Zelenskyy and Mr Trump at the Oval Office.

Just 24 hours after his heated clash with US President Donald Trump, Mr Zelensky was met with a warm embrace by Sir Keir.

The UK government has also signed a £2.3 billion ($AUD4.66 billion) agreement with Ukraine for military support and European leaders are due to meet in London on Sunday local time to discuss how the nation can try and reach a peace deal with Russia.

During the meeting on Saturday, the British PM told Mr Zelensky: “You’re very, very welcome here in Downing Street.

“As you heard from the cheers on the street outside, you have the full backing across the United Kingdom.

“And we stand with you, with Ukraine for as long as it takes and I hope you heard some of that cheering in the street”.

Mr Zelensky replied: “I saw a lot of people and I want to thank you, the people of the United Kingdom, for such big support from the very beginning of this war.”

NATO chief Mark Rutte told the BBC on the weekend that Mr Zelensky must take urgent steps to “restore his relationship with the American president and with the senior American leadership team”.

TIMELINE OF TROUBLE

COULD MINERALS DEAL END WAR IN UKRAINE?
Ukraine has agreed on the terms of a minerals deal with the United States and could sign it later this week, a Ukrainian official said, in a move Kyiv* hopes will lay the ground for future security guarantees* from Washington.

US President Donald Trump had demanded that Ukraine give access to its rare earth minerals to compensate* for the billions of dollars of wartime aid it received under Joe Biden.

The deal would see the United States jointly develop Ukraine’s mineral wealth, with income made from the deal going to a newly created fund that would be “joint for Ukraine and America”, a senior Ukrainian source who wished to remain anonymous told AFP.

Ukraine media reports the document may be signed by its Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The agreement comes as a statement made by Mr Trump about Russia accepting European peacekeeping troops in Ukraine in order to end the war was later contradicted by the Kremlin*.

During a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, Mr Trump claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin would accept European peacekeeping troops in Ukraine as part of a potential peace deal to end the war.

When asked about Mr Trump’s comment, however, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the official position expressed by Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had remained unchanged. Mr Lavrov had stated one week prior, “the deployment of troops … (from) NATO countries, but under a foreign flag, under the flag of the European Union or under national flags … is, of course, unacceptable to us.”

UK PRIME MINISTER TO MEET WITH TRUMP
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will make his support of Ukraine clear when he meets with Mr Trump on Thursday with the UK leader labelling Vladimir Putin a “tyrant*” in a powerful speech to parliament.

Sir Keir has announced $8 billion of support for the Ukrainian fight, and increased training for the Ukrainian armed forces.

“One of the great lessons of our history is that instability in Europe will always wash up on our shores, and that tyrants like Putin only respond to strength,” Sir Keir said.

“Russia is a menace in our waters, in our airspace and on our streets. They have launched cyber attacks on our National Health Service, only seven years ago a chemical weapons attack on the streets of Salisbury.

“We must stand by Ukraine, because if we do not achieve a lasting peace, then the economic instability are threats to our security, they will only grow.”

Sir Keir will visit the White House in an attempt to build on the progress of Mr Macron’s meeting with Mr Trump and convince Mr Trump to provide security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a successful ceasefire* with Russia.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• Kyiv: the capital of Ukraine
• security guarantees: military protection and support through the provision of weapons and/or funding for weapons
• compensate: make up for, or pay back
• Kremlin: a fortified group of buildings in Moscow representing the seat of power, the Kremlin is also used to refer to the Russian government itself
• tyrant: a cruel and oppressive ruler
• ceasefire: also known as a truce, when each side of a war agrees to stop fighting

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QUICK QUIZ

1. Which two European leaders are trying to persuade US President Donald Trump to support Ukraine?
2. What has Ukraine agreed to as compensation for wartime funding from the US?
3. What claim made by Mr Trump has Russia since disputed?
4. How did British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer label Russian President Vladimir Putin in his speech to parliament?
5. How much support has Sir Keir announced for the Ukrainian fight?

LISTEN TO THE UPDATE

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. What would you say?
Imagine that you are Sir Keir Starmer. What would you say to Donald Trump in your meeting with him about Ukraine? Write the speech or explanation that you would give. Use information in the story to help you.

Time: allow at least 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Civics and Citizenship

2. Extension
Why do you think it is important for kids your age to understand what is happening in Ukraine at the moment? Write down as many reasons as you can think of.

Time: allow at least 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social Capability, Civics and Citizenship

VCOP ACTIVITY
Wow word recycle
There are plenty of wow words (ambitious pieces of vocabulary) being used in the article. Some are in the glossary, but there might be extra ones from the article that you think are exceptional as well.

Identify all the words in the article that you think are not common words, and particularly good choices for the writer to have chosen.

Select three words you have highlighted to recycle into your own sentences.

If any of the words you identified are not in the glossary, write up your own glossary for them.

Extension
Find a bland sentence from the article to up-level. Can you add more detail and description? Can you replace any base words with more specific synonyms?

Down-level for a younger audience. Find a sentence in the article that is high level. Now rewrite it for a younger audience so they can understand the words without using the glossary.