𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Donald Trump has confirmed that his treasury secretary, Scott Bessen,t will visit Ukraine but did not elaborate on earlier reports about a deal involving rare earth minerals as one of the reasons for the trip.

The president wrote on Truth Social:

I am sending Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent to Ukraine to meet President Zelensky. This War MUST and WILL END SOON — Too much Death and Destruction. The U.S. has spent BILLIONS of Dollars Globally, with little to show. WHEN AMERICA IS STRONG, THE WORLD IS AT PEACE.

According to a source familiar with his plans, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will travel to Ukraine this week to discuss a potential deal regarding rare earth minerals.

Bessent will be the first cabinet-level official in President Donald Trump’s administration to visit Ukraine.

Both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Trump have expressed interest in a pact that would grant the United States access to Ukraine’s rare earth resources in exchange for ongoing support to counter the Russian invasion.

The source, who requested anonymity as the details remain confidential, did not provide additional information on the itinerary. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Bloomberg was the first to report Bessent’s travel plans.

Rare earth elements are a group of metals used to manufacture magnets that convert power into motion for electric vehicles, cell phones, missile systems, and other electronics. There are no viable substitutes, and the demand is widely expected to increase.

Several other U.S. officials are visiting Europe this week, partly to discuss the Ukraine war with Kyiv and other European allies. They include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Keith Kellogg, the U.S. envoy for the Ukraine war.

Reuters reported this week that the Trump administration intends to urge European allies to purchase more American weapons for Ukraine ahead of possible peace talks with Moscow.

With reporting from Reuters

The US president’s threats to cut aid to Jordan and Egypt risk further war – and may offer China and Russia easy gains, warns World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley

“It’s a ridiculous situation. We’re going back to plastic straws,” Trump told reporters while signing the order in the White House on Monday. “These things don’t work. I’ve had them many times, and on occasion, they break, they explode.”

James Liddell has the story.

Pope Francis sharply rebuked President Donald Trump’s harsh immigration policies and mass deportation plan in an open letter, warning that the policies “will end badly.”

In a remarkable move, the head of the Catholic Church published a letter to bishops of the United States urging them to remain welcoming and nonjudgemental toward migrants despite the president and his allies issuing statements that claim many are criminals and dangerous.

The resignations are in protest of President Trump’s efforts to bring the agency to a standstill.

Eric Halperin, the director of enforcement, and Lorelei Salas, the director of supervision, sent emails this morning announcing their departures.

“As you know we have been ordered to cease all work,” Halperin wrote in an email. “I don’t believe in these conditions I can effectively serve in my role, which is protecting American consumers.”

Salas also said she could not continue to serve in her role.

“I do not believe it is appropriate, nor lawful, to stop all supervisory activities and examinations,” she wrote.

Both emails were viewed by The Associated Press.