We know Putin is a dictator. He's not quite Stalin but getting there.

This is about putting a stop to the CIA/US influence from 2014 over Ukraine. I just saw a clip from JD Vance and he put it very succinctly that Ukrainians and Russians are running out of fighting men, the US is propping up a stalemate and this needs to stop. The minerals deal was so the US could recoup some of their money, albeit definitely not all of it but some of it.