The United States has reportedly demanded control over a key natural gas pipeline in Ukraine, escalating tensions over an increasingly contentious minerals-for-weapons agreement. described the move as part of a “colonial shakedown”.The pipeline in question, built during the Soviet era, it remains a critical piece of energy infrastructure connecting Russian gas supplies to Europe.According to Reuters, the latest draft of the US proposal demands that the International Development Finance Corporation, a US government agency, take control of the pipeline.Talks turning acrimoniousThe discussions, held on Friday, have reportedly grown tense, Reuters reported. The newest version of the US draft deal is “much more maximalist” than earlier versions. In February, Trump administration’s preliminary proposal suggested securing $500 billion worth of Ukrainian rare earths, oil, and gas. Under the revised plan now reportedly favoured by Donald Trump’s team, Ukraine would surrender critical infrastructure and mineral rights without the promise of additional weapons or security guarantees.US Special Envoy denies partition remarksAmid the uproar, Keith Kellogg, the US special envoy to Ukraine, has attempted to clarify controversial comments made to The Times suggesting a post-war partition of Ukraine “like Berlin after World War II.”Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Kellogg said: “My remarks were misinterpreted. I was referring to a post-ceasefire resiliency force in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty — not partition.”His remarks had raised alarms in Kyiv, where any division of Ukrainian territory is viewed as a red line.Trump ally meets Putin in St PetersburgTrump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Friday. Witkoff reportedly floated a peace plan that would see Russia retain the four Ukrainian provinces it currently claims — including areas still controlled by Ukraine and inhabited by around 1 million people, according to The Guardian report.Allies announce record military aidWhile talks between Trump allies and Moscow raise eyebrows, Kyiv’s international partners reaffirmed their support. At a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting on Friday, allies pledged a record €21 billion ($22.7 billion) in additional military assistance.They also accused Putin of delaying a proposed 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine has already accepted.
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