Donald Trump’s Favorite Newspaper Calls His Ukraine Proposal ‘Despicable’

The New York Post, which President Donald Trump said was “once my favorite newspaper,” published an editorial calling his proposal for access to Ukraine’s rare earth materials “despicable.”

Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment via email.

Why It Matters

Trump’s proposed deal for access to Ukraine’s rare earth materials has been one of his key negotiating points with Kyiv ahead of any peace talks with Russia.

The New York Post has historically been one of Trump’s most loyal media supporters, and the right-wing tabloid often reports favorably on him, having previously endorsed his presidential campaigns. However, the outlet began to move away from Trump after the 2020 election and recently criticized several of his Cabinet nominations.

What To Know

In its editorial, the New York Post wrote that “President Trump’s demand that Ukraine sign over a huge chunk of its economy as repayment for help fending off Russia is flat-out wrong. Period.” It added that it was “asking for too much” as Ukraine “is the victim of this war, not to mention our ally.”

The outlet wrote of Trump’s proposed deal, “Indeed, as a share of GDP it looks to be harsher than what the victorious allies imposed on Germany in the Peace of Versailles after World War I,” and added that, “To squeeze the war-crippled country for all we can, simply because we can, would be despicable.”

The Post also wrote that “helping Ukraine defend itself from Vladimir Putin’s illegal, barbaric invasion was the right thing to do” and that “there is the possibility for a deal that leaves Ukraine’s dignity intact and benefits both parties—perhaps something like that $500-billion accord on rare earth minerals floated the other week—but this isn’t it.”

The editorial criticizing Trump’s proposal is in reference to the president’s push to pursue a deal with Ukraine to access “the equivalent of $500 billion of rare earth minerals” in return for continued U.S. aid in the war with Russia.

The proposal, which was presented by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during a visit to Kyiv and sought to give American companies 50 percent ownership of Ukraine’s rare earth mineral deposits, was recently rejected by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The plan was also framed as a way for Kyiv to repay the U.S. for its past military aid, as Washington has been one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters since the war began, with Joe Biden’s administration having given more than $65.9 billion to Kyiv.

Dismissing the deal on the basis that it failed to provide security guarantees, Zelensky said at the Munich Security Conference that it “is not ready to protect us, our interest.”

What People Are Saying

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Daniel Fried, the former U.S. ambassador to Poland, wrote: “From the often Trump-friendly ⁦@nypost, a first-rate take down of the Trump administration’s predatory demand for Ukraine’s resources.”

John Avlon, a journalist and former CNN anchor, wrote on X: “Cleareyed Editorial from @NYPost on Trump’s blame Ukraine diplomacy and his administration’s predictable pivot to Russia.”

Walter Curt, an investigative journalist, wrote on X: “NEW: The New York Post is not happy about President Trump’s Ukraine proposal. ‘President Trump’s demand that Ukraine sign over a huge chunk of its economy as repayment for help fending off Russia is flat-out wrong. Period,’ the Editorial Board writes. Oh really? It’s wrong to demand payment for propping their country up for years?

“They’re lucky he started at half. Trump could have said 100 percent. It’s really amazing how many think the president is kidding about putting America first. There’s no reason we shouldn’t just take part of their territory as our personal strip mine. Remember, ‘America is an expanding country again.’ That’s the cost of defense. Thanks for playing.”

Animal, a hip-hop artist, wrote on X: “NY Post writes an editorial board to shame Trump for his Ukraine policy. Most Republican media is fake opposition. Almost all of it.”

What Happens Next

Trump has yet to respond to the outlet’s editorial on his social media platforms.