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In fairness, Trump is arguably following up on overtures from Zelensky last year to the Biden administration for U.S.-Ukraine cooperation in developing his country’s minerals and energy riches.

The US has also been attempting to reach a deal for access to Ukrainian minerals as part of negotiations to end the war.

Local media, citing an Asturian spokesperson, reported that workers had been at the mine under a permit to extract minerals to produce graphite.

He specifically called out the countries for taking interest in routes and minerals in the region, as the island of 57,000 people is believed to hold massive untapped mineral and oil reserves.

After separating out the minerals, the mining ships then pipe back overboard the processed waters, sediment and mining “fines,” which are the small particles of the ground-up nodule ore.