Daily News Digest: Zelensky Offers to Resign for Peace or NATO Membership

February 24, 2025 -- Today’s top stories: Zelensky Offers to Resign for Peace or NATO Membership, Trump Administration Pursues Rare Earth Minerals Deal with Ukraine, and Warren Buffett Shares Business Wisdom in Annual Letter.

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By CommonWealth Magazine
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2025-02-24

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Zelensky says ready to step down if it means peace for Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his willingness to resign if it leads to peace for Ukraine or in exchange for the country's membership in NATO.

The announcement was made during the Ukraine: year 2025 forum in Kyiv on February 23. Talks about elections in Ukraine have amplified in recent months despite martial law prohibiting them.

Zelensky, who was elected in 2019 for five years, came under fire from U.S. President Donald Trump who recently accused the Ukrainian leader of not wanting to hold elections.

Ukraine has repeatedly said that it won't hold elections until the war is over, in line with martial law as Russia constantly bombards the country and occupies one-fifth of its territory.

With Trump amping up peace negotiations with Russia this month, many expect an election to follow shortly after a ceasefire is agreed.

Ukrainian NGOs have said organizing an election during the war is "impossible," as elections must be preceded by a stable ceasefire backed by security guarantees and proper preparations for the election process, including restoring relevant infrastructure.

Zelensky's administration pledged to hold elections "immediately" after a ceasefire is agreed. However, Zelensky said that he is not ready to fix the amount of support from the United States at $100 billion, as this sum includes grants provided to Ukraine.

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Trump administration predicts minerals deal with Ukraine will get signed this week

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President Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff expects a deal to come together this week with Ukraine to give the United States access to rare earth minerals.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected the White House’s initial offer, drawing the ire of Mr. Trump, who labeled Mr. Zelenskyy a “dictator” and blamed him for starting the war with Russia.

Mr. Trump insists that American taxpayers should be compensated for past and future military aid to Ukraine. At the same time, Mr. Zelenskyy wants the deal to include security guarantees and continued military support to deter future Russian aggression. Negotiations over the Minerals deal come as the Trump administration also looks to strike a deal to end the Ukraine-Russia war.

U.S. and Russian officials held “positive” peace talks without Ukraine last week in Saudi Arabia.

The initial deal dictated that U.S. companies must hold 50% ownership of Ukraine’s rare earth elements deposits. The minerals are used in the aerospace, defense, and nuclear industries.

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washingtontimes - Trump administration predicts minerals deal with Ukraine will get signed this week

Warren Buffett included 4 key pearls of wisdom in his annual shareholder letter

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Warren Buffett's annual shareholder letter to his Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, published on Saturday, includes lessons on business and life. In the letter, Buffett acknowledged that mistakes are normal in the course of doing business and that the cardinal sin is delaying the correction of mistakes.

The corollary to acknowledging mistakes is recognizing the power of big wins.

He pointed to several key moments in Berkshire Hathaway's history, including the strategic acquisition of Geico, the decision to bring former McKinsey consultant Ajit Jain into management, and finding Charlie Munger, Buffett's longtime friend and business partner, who served as vice chairman of the conglomerate for more than four decades.

When it comes to selecting a CEO, Buffett has a rule: "I never look at where a candidate has gone to school. Never!" He pointed to the case of Pete Liegl, the founder and manager of forest River, an RV manufacturing company that Berkshire Hathaway acquired in 2005. In the 19 years following the acquisition, Buffett said Liegl far surpassed his competitors in performance.

"There are great managers who attended the most famous schools, but there are plenty, such as Pete, who may have benefited by attending a less prestigious institution or even by not bothering to finish school," he wrote.

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