Facebook parent company Meta was hit with a record $1.3 billion fine on Monday by the European Union, which demanded the social media giant stop transferring user data to the United States.
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) found that Meta had made a “very serious” infringement concerning transfers “that are systematic, repetitive and continuous,” EDPB Chair Andrea Jelinek said in a statement announcing the fine.
“Facebook has millions of users in Europe, so the volume of personal data transferred is massive. The unprecedented fine is a strong signal to organisations that serious infringements have far-reaching consequences,” Jelinek said. As Ukraine aid dries up, next package remains on back burner Greece’s conservatives win big in election
The $1.2 billion euro fine, issued by the Irish Data Protection Authority to Meta Platform Ireland Unlimited after an inquiry into Facebook, is the largest General Data Protection Regulation fine ever, according to the EDPB.
“This decision is flawed, unjustified and sets a dangerous precedent for the countless other companies transferring data between the EU and U.S.,” Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global and affairs, and Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Newstead said in a statement.
Meta said there is no immediate disruption to its services in Europe and said it plans to appeal the ruling and fine.
Ukraine has agreed terms with the United States on a crucial minerals deal, a Ukrainian government source has told Sky News.
There has been no confirmation from the US side yet but Donald Trump said on Monday evening that his Ukrainian counterpart “would like to sign the minerals deal with me”.
The accord, once signed, could unlock a new long-term partnership between Kyiv and Mr Trump‘s White House after weeks of increasingly tense exchanges.
The source said there was a plan for the document to be signed “very soon”.
This could even be during a face-to-face meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Mr Trump.
The US president told reporters on Tuesday evening that his Ukrainian counterpart is “coming to visit on Friday”.
He added: “We have pretty much negotiated our deal on rare earths.”
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A Ukrainian government source has also said Mr Zelenskyy will meet with Mr Trump in Washington on Friday and that the meeting was proposed by the American side.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials have said Kyiv has agreed a framework for an economic deal with the US which will see them trade rights to rare minerals in exchange for continued aid.
The deal sets out the terms to create a new fund to invest in Ukraine’s minerals, rare earth materials and other valuable natural resources.
It no longer contains an initial demand by the United States for a right to $500bn (£394bn) in potential revenue from the resources.
Mr Zelenskyy had previously described such a high price as not being a “serious” conversation.
Mr Trump, however, views the minerals transaction with Ukraine as a fair way to recoup the billions of dollars that the US has given Kyiv – via weapons and financial support – to assist the armed forces in their fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion over the past three years.
The document also does not provide a commitment from Washington to give security guarantees to Ukraine in the wake of any ceasefire deal with Vladimir Putin – something that Kyiv desperately needs and has been asking for.
More granular details about the new partnership are expected to be fleshed out in coming discussions.
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The two sides have “agreed on a framework agreement on how to create a fund that will be filled with a share of minerals” and other natural resources, the government source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“This is a political step to ensure that resource revenues are used for the security and reconstruction of Ukraine.”
The fund would comprise US money that would be invested in Ukrainian natural resources, with profits shared between Washington and Kyiv, it is understood.
The Financial Times first reported on the agreement being reached. It said the final version of the deal was dated 24 February.
“The minerals agreement is only part of the picture. We have heard multiple times from the US administration that it’s part of a bigger picture,” Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister and justice minister who has led the negotiations, told the newspaper on Tuesday.
The development comes after Mr Trump shocked European leaders last week by calling Mr Zelenskyy a “dictator with no elections”.
He added that the Ukrainian president “better move fast or he is not going to have a country left” after Mr Zelenskyy had accused him of living in a Russian-made “disinformation space”.
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Is Trump and Macron’s bromance still intact?
French President Emmanuel Macron flew to Washington to meet with Mr Trump on Monday for talks on Ukraine amid fragile relations between the US and Europe.
Meeting in the White House on the third anniversary of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the French president said he and Mr Trump “made substantive steps forward during our discussions”.
It comes as UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer prepares to meet with Mr Trump at the White House on Thursday.
Mr Starmer and Mr Macron spoke on the phone on Tuesday and “agreed that President Trump’s leadership in working towards a durable peace in Ukraine was welcome”, a Downing Street spokesperson continued.
Donald Trump is ramping up pressure on his Ukrainian counterpart to sign away up to 50% of its mineral supplies.
Amid concerns Mr Trump would withdraw aid if elected, during a meeting at Trump Tower in September, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reportedly proposed a US stake in Ukrainian minerals in exchange for more weapons.
But since Mr Trump’s return to the White House, US-Ukrainian relations have become increasingly strained, with him branding Mr Zelenskyy a “dictator” and excluding Ukraine from negotiations with Russia.
A Ukrainian source told Sky News that Mr Zelenskyy is “not ready” to sign the US agreement due to a “number of problematic issues”, with a leaked draft claiming to ask for 50%. French President Emmanuel Macron has lent his support to the idea.
Here we look at Ukraine’s mineral supply – and why the US wants access to it.
Image: Donald Trump meets Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Trump Tower in September 2024. Pic: AP
Which minerals does Ukraine have?
Before Russia’s invasion in February 2022, minerals made up 6.1% of Ukraine’s GDP (gross domestic product) and 30% of its exports.
It is home to various ‘critical’ minerals, so called for their use in technology manufacturing, defence systems, and green energy, with examples including copper, nickel, lithium, and titanium.
According to the European Commission, in 2019 Ukraine supplied 7% of global titanium, which is used for building nuclear power plants and planes.
Similarly, it is believed to have more lithium (used to make batteries) than any other European country – a suspected 500,000 tonnes.
Before Russia’s invasion, it was also responsible for a fifth of global graphite, which is a key material for nuclear power stations and electric vehicle batteries.
Other raw materials in good supply include coal, iron ore, and manganese.
Image: A titanium plant in Armyansk, Crimea. File pic: Reuters
Pre-war figures are the most reliable, as up to 40% of Ukrainian metallic minerals are now in areas occupied by Russia – namely the Donbas and neighbouring eastern regions.
For example, two of Ukraine’s lithium deposits are under Russian control – Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk.
Image: A graphite pit in Zavallia, Ukraine. Pic: Reuters
Rare earth elements
Rare earth elements (REE) are a group of 17 exotic minerals used to make everything from smartphones and electronic devices, to electric vehicles, wind turbines, and weapons systems.
Examples include europium, a material for control rods at nuclear power plants, and gadolinium, used to make the magnets inside mobile phones – as well as holmium, ytterbium, and dysprosium.
They are not strictly rare – but their extraction and storage are highly energy-intensive.
With the details of war-torn Ukraine’s mineral supplies uncertain – it is not clear which REEs are present there and how much there are of them.
But in a pre-war assessment of 109 critical mineral deposits across the country by the Kyiv School of Economics, three were reported to contain REEs.
Ukrainian mineral data, seen by Reuters, has also cited cerium, neodymium, erbium, yttrium, and lanthanum.
Why does Trump want them?
Donald Trump has not been clear about which minerals he wants from Ukraine.
But what is far more certain is the role China has to play in Mr Trump’s demands.
As the biggest manufacturer in the world, China processes more REEs than any other country – with its deposits representing between 50% and 75% of global supply, according to estimates.
As a result, both the US and Europe are trying to reduce their dependency on Beijing.
Image: A chinese rare earth smelting plant spews polluted water
In December as Mr Trump prepared to return to office, China banned the export of some REEs to the US. Under Joe Biden’s administration, it had already restricted its US mineral exports.
In response on 1 February, the Trump administration announced 10% tariffs on all Chinese imports.
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Why did China restrict mineral exports last year?
Beyond the trade war with China, REEs and critical minerals are fundamental to the global green energy transition.
According to the World Meteorological Organisation, to meet net-zero targets by 2030, we will need three times as much copper, lithium, nickel, and cobalt.
This will mean a further 50 lithium, 60 nickel, and 17 cobalt mines globally.
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People speculated about potential causes for the bruising on social media.
On X, one person suggested Mr Trump was on blood thinners, while another said: “Maybe, but elderly people bruise more easily than younger folks. Trump is 78. He could have gotten that in any number of ways.”
One user didn’t seem to believe the White House’s explanation.
“Why even lie? It’s obviously an IV bruise for blood testing or something. Is it a surprise to people that Trump is old and gets regular physician visits?” they said.
In a December interview with NBC News’ Meet the Press, Mr Trump said he would release his full medical report, but he has yet to do so.