A deal granting the United States access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals and other natural resources would help protect Ukraine against Russian aggression, according to a snippet of a social media message reposted by President Donald Trump on March 2.
The snippet Trump posted was an excerpt from a longer analysis by Michael McCune, an Arizona-based DJ and karate instructor who frequently comments on political topics on Facebook.
“Trump is actually protecting Ukraine without dragging the U.S. into war,” according to the excerpt Trump posted. “By negotiating a mineral deal, Trump ensures that Americans will be involved in Ukraine’s mining industry. This prevents Russia from launching an invasion, because attacking Ukraine would mean endangering American lives—something that would force the U.S. to respond.”…