New mineral agreement with the U.S. and the Pope's critical health condition: key highlights from February 22.

New Version of the Mineral Agreement with the USA

The new version of the agreement with the USA regarding rare earth minerals is significantly stricter than the previous draft. Washington is seeking more from Ukraine than the country has spent on its own defense. Therefore, this agreement is unacceptable for President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Specifically, the USA proposes to secure 100% ownership of the future fund and distribute the contributions of the parties in a 2 to 1 ratio, where the Ukrainian side contributes two-thirds of future revenues from extraction, while the American side contributes one-third, which has already been provided in the form of weapons.

The Condition of the Pope is Critical

The health of Pope Francis, who has been diagnosed with pneumonia, remains critical. He is still in the hospital.

According to Vatican News, this morning Francis experienced an asthma-like respiratory crisis of prolonged intensity, which required the administration of oxygen to his body "in large amounts."

He also underwent a blood transfusion, as tests revealed thrombocytopenia associated with anemia.

Ukraine Risked Losing Starlink. Musk Denied It

Reuters, citing three sources, reported that American negotiators pressuring Ukraine regarding the mineral agreement raised the issue of terminating the country's access to Elon Musk's Starlink satellite communication system.

One of the sources told Reuters that "losing Starlink would be a serious blow" for Ukraine.

However, Elon Musk denied this information: "That's a lie. Reuters is lying. They only rank behind AP (Associated Propaganda) as outdated news liars."

New Details on the Il-76 Plane Crash in Belgorod Region

Forensic analysis has established that the DNA of 50 out of 62 remains sent by Russia, allegedly from people who died in the Il-76 plane crash in Russia's Belgorod region in January 2024, matches the DNA of their relatives.

According to Bogdan Okhrimenko, a representative of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, it is currently impossible to definitively establish that the individuals whose bodies were received by Kyiv were on the plane during the crash.

This case is currently under investigation by the Security Service of Ukraine.

Trump Wants to Bring Back Ukrainian Children Abducted by Russians

US President Donald Trump stated that he may be able to return Ukrainian children deported by Russia.

"I believe I can, yes. I didn't know much about it. I heard about it yesterday. It's quite a difficult thing, but I believe I can do it," he said.

Meanwhile, human rights advocate and lawyer at the Regional Center for Human Rights, Yekaterina Rashevskaya, urged to approach this news "with utmost caution."