Economics

Oh indeed. I don't see the Ukrainian deal being beneficial for the US any time soon, and there's other more important motives behind it (perhaps among them making such egregious demands that Ukraine refuses and US has an excuse to exit the Ukraine war "gracefully"). But someone probably thought it might work, and then they can figure out a way to split the minerals with the the Russians.

I predict this is the pattern the Trump administration will follow for the next 1-2 years at least, if not for the whole term. It's standard American business"bull" tactics. Come in hard and aggressive, throw crazy threats, pressure using media and affiliates of the target, then make deals that give you everything in exchange for behaving somewhat more rationally.