Ukraine has fended off Donald Trump, for the moment
A tentative framework agreement is vague but softer than was feared
After a painful negotiation, Ukraine is set to approve a deal with America to jointly exploit the beleaguered country’s minerals. Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, are due to sign a document—and pull back from a damaging war of words—when they meet in Washington on February 28th. Mr Trump is sure to declare it a victory for America. What it means for Ukraine is fuzzier.
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This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “A tentative bargain with America”
Europe
March 1st 2025- Merz wins a messy election then calls for independence from America
- John Parker, one of The Economist’s finest correspondents, was a polymath journalist
- Europe will need to pull all the levers to up its defence spending
- Ukraine has fended off Donald Trump, for the moment
- Ukraine is scrambling to find fresh fighters
- Swedish businesses are being bombed
- Which European should face off against Trump and Putin?

From the March 1st 2025 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionThe dangerous tension in Europe’s response to Trump
By trying to stop the rift, Europe may hasten it

Can Friedrich Merz get Europe out of its funk?
A new Merz-mentum could reboot the Franco-German motor at the heart of the EU
Can Europe keep Ukraine in the fight if America really has bailed?
Investing in Ukraine’s own weapons industry will be the best bet
As Trump suspends military aid, what are the chokeholds on Ukraine?
The war-torn country can substitute some—but nothing like all—of the kit it gets from America
Europe vows to defend Ukraine, but prays for Trump’s support
A summit in London is stalked by the fear America will walk away