Scenario one: Zelensky apologises to Trump
There is still time for this to be resolved amicably.
If Zelensky bites the bullet and says sorry to President Trump for ‘mis-speaking’ in the Oval Office, and signs up to the minerals-for-peace deal, it is possible that Trump will make Vladimir Putin an offer he can’t refuse – granting Russia the lands that its army has already seized in eastern Ukraine.
In return, Zelensky could ultimately guarantee the independence of the rest of his country, because if American firms, mineworkers and consultants are scattered across Ukraine to reap its rare earth metals, it would be in America’s interests to stand up for the nation’s sovereignty.
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