The "New York Times" newspaper draws attention to a topical issue - the deal between the US and Ukraine for rare earth elements.
The publication reports that maps showing trillion-dollar mineral deposits scattered across Ukraine are largely based on outdated research, and the preparation of new ones may take several years, experts say. Extraction of the deposits may not be easy and investors will have to pump billions into Ukraine, the newspaper commented.
The country's energy infrastructure, which continues to be bombarded by Russian missiles and drones, will need to be repaired and modernized to provide the huge amounts of energy needed to sustain mining activities, the "New York Times" added.
The Western press commented on the removal of Mike Walz from the post of national security adviser.
US President Donald Trump ordered the largest personnel reshuffle in his new administration, replacing his national security adviser Michael Walz with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who will temporarily hold the position and at the same time be the country's top diplomat, the American newspaper "Washington Post" reported. Trump said he was nominating Walz to be his UN ambassador.
The decision reflects Trump's frustration with Walz's earlier inclusion of a journalist in a group chat about military operations in Yemen, as well as his frustration with Walz's appointment of officials considered disloyal to the president, the newspaper said.
"The Washington Post" explains that this is the first time in decades that a US president has appointed the same person as secretary of state and national security adviser. The same situation was last seen when President Richard Nixon assigned these responsibilities to Henry Kissinger, entrusting one man with extraordinary powers regarding America's domestic and foreign security.
According to the publication, Walz's departure from the White House is a loss for Republican "hawks", who saw in Walz a person who could direct the president towards more aggressive military options against Iran and other adversaries of the United States. However, the temporary appointment of Rubio, also a "hawk" on foreign policy, is expected to quell any criticism from the right, the newspaper predicts.
"Trump's national security team was extremely weak even before Walz's removal", the American edition of the magazine headlines. "Politico".
The loss of Mike Walz as national security adviser is not that big of a change; he never had much power anyway, the magazine commented. One of the intriguing aspects of the second Trump administration is how no one but Trump himself has much power over foreign policy and national security matters, "Politico" believes.
According to the publication, this is an unusual situation that worries many national security experts. Under most modern presidents, the National Security Council has been given the upper hand over other agencies to take the lead on key foreign policy and national security issues, the magazine explained, noting that Walz has struggled to gain approval even for the staff he appoints, and some of his chosen staffers have been fired after complaints from a far-right Trump ally — a striking example of weakness.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has a chance to become the main foreign policy force behind Trump’s throne, Politico added. Rubio could find himself overworked trying to juggle both positions while serving an unpredictable president who has not always shown him respect, Politico said.
The magazine also wrote that some national security experts suggest that giving Rubio both positions underscores how little power these two positions have under Trump. There is also the question of how long Rubio can effectively perform both positions, especially given how much the secretary of state is expected to travel, adds "Politico".
Rubio, whom Donald Trump calls "Little Marco", has become one of the most influential figures in the president's administration, writes the British newspaper "The Guardian".
According to the newspaper, it is unlikely that Rubio will go down in history as a figure as significant for the United States as Kissinger. "Yet, two months ago, who would have guessed that the former "Little Marco" would hold the levers of power of two separate institutions?", commented "The Guardian".
Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the Senate, welcomed the firing but told the British newspaper that he thought Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth deserved to lose his job the most.
"They should fire him, but they fired the wrong person instead. They should fire Hegseth," he said on Capitol Hill.
According to the newspaper, Walz has had other "scuffs" with Trump. It is reported that he and other members of the National Security Council used their personal Gmail accounts to conduct government business.
Another British newspaper, The Telegraph, wrote that Walz fell out of favor because of two of the key women in Trump's world. Laura Loomer, a staunch supporter of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, has made it her mission to oust anyone she sees as disloyal to the president, and yesterday she called for Walz to be fired. Other reports suggest that Walz has lost the trust of Susie Wiles, Trump's chief of staff and the second most powerful figure in the White House.