Featured Image Credit: MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, World News, US News, News, Russia
Rhiannon Ingle
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, World News, US News, News, Russia
United States President, Donald Trump, is preparing to meet with Russian President, Vladimir Putin, later today (15 August).
According to The Telegraph, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is exploring the economic trade-offs the US can make with Russia to facilitate a ceasefire and a peace agreement.
The outlet adds that one of these economic incentives Trump will reportedly offer Putin to encourage him to end the three-and-a-half-year war in Ukraine includes opening up access to the rare earth minerals in the Ukrainian territories Moscow partially occupies. As well as this, natural resources in the Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia's eastern coast - something which many people are far from happy about as such a move would further Russia's strategic interests in the Arctic region, so close to the US mainland.
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"Americans, are you ok with offering Alaskan natural resources to Russia?" asked one social media user.
"No, no, & no! It's not Trump's place to offer Alaska's resources, just as it's not his place to offer any of Ukraine!" slammed a second. "He's neither a king nor an emperor."
A third chimed in: "This is horrible!"
"How dreadful," lamented a fourth.
Another penned: "So hang on.... Trump is going to offer to open up F*** ALASKA TO THE RUSSIANS?? Wow. Let's see republicans defend this."
"If true, under no circumstance can this be allowed. The president does not own America's resources. PERIOD," declared a final critic.
A White House official told The Telegraph: "We do not comment on deliberative conversations that may or may not be happening. From the beginning, the president has been clear about his commitment to ending the bloodshed and achieving a full and comprehensive ceasefire.
"As the president stated, everyone agrees this war must come to a close, and that is what he is working towards."
Tyla has reached out to both the White House and the office of Alaska's governor for further comment.
Earlier this week, on Wednesday (13 August), Trump warned Russia would face 'very severe' consequences if it did not stop its war.
Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022 and, since then, the superpower has reportedly seized approximately 28,158 square miles which works out to be around 12% of Ukraine’s territory.
As many as 9.4 million Ukrainians have been displaced (21% of the population), including 3.7 million internally displaced and 5.7 million refugees abroad, with the war seeing a confirmed 13,580 Ukrainian civilian deaths.