Ukraine has transferred lithium mining rights to U.S. investors, including Trump’s friend, billionaire Ronald Lauder

The tender to develop the lithium deposit known as the “Dobra section” in Kirovohrad region was won by a consortium that media outlets have linked to a friend of Trump.

Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko officially announced this yesterday.

Last week, The New York Times reported the same information, saying the winning bidder was a consortium whose investors included TechMet and billionaire Ronald Lauder—an heir to a cosmetics empire who has known Trump since their student days.

According to Svyrydenko, the winner is Dobra Lithium Holdings JV, LLC, whose shareholders are TechMet and The Rock Holdings.

The official results of the tender were announced only today, but as we can see, they appear to have been predetermined—since American media learned the winner as early as last week.