U.S.(MAGA) - UKRAINE BILATERAL AGREEMENT And Then Make Ukraine Great Again (MUGA) , Ukraine NOW

MAGA AND MUGA BILATERAL AGREEMENT

BILATERAL AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR A RECONSTRUCTION INVESTMENT FUND：

WHEREAS the United States of America has provided significant financial and material support to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022;

WHEREAS the American people desire to invest alongside Ukraine in a free, sovereign and secure Ukraine;

WHEREAS the United States of America and Ukraine desire a lasting peace in Ukraine and a durable partnership between their two peoples and governments;

WHEREAS the United States of America and Ukraine recognize the contribution that Ukraine has made to strengthening international peace and security by voluntarily abandoning the world's third largest arsenal of nuclear weapons;

WHEREAS the United States of America and Ukraine wish to ensure that those States and other persons that have acted adversely to Ukraine in the conflict do not benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine following a lasting peace;

NOW, THEREFORE, the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Ukraine (each, a "Participant") hereby enter into this Bilateral Agreement Establishing Terms and Conditions for a Reconstruction Investment Fund to deepen the partnership between the United States of America and Ukraine, as set forth herein.

1.The Governments of Ukraine and the United States of America, with the aim of achieving lasting peace in Ukraine, intend to establish a Reconstruction Investment Fund (Fund), partnering in the Fund through joint ownership, to be further defined in the Fund Agreement. Joint ownership will take into consideration the actual contributions of the Participants as defined in Sections 3 and 4. The Fund will be jointly managed by representatives of the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the United States of America. More detailed terms pertaining to the Fund's governance and operation will be set forth in a subsequent agreement (the Fund Agreement) to be negotiated promptly after the conclusion of this Bilateral Agreement. The maximum percentage of ownership of the Fund's equity and financial interests to be held by the Government of the United States of America and the decision-making authority of the representatives of the Government of the United States of America will be to the extent permissible under applicable United States laws.

Neither Participant will sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any portion of its interest in the Fund without the prior written consent of the other Participant.

2.The Fund will collect and reinvest revenues contributed to the Fund, minus expenses incurred by the Fund, and will earn income from the future monetization of all relevant Ukrainian Government-owned natural resource assets (whether owned directly or indirectly by the Ukrainian Government), as defined in Section 3.

3.The Government of Ukraine will contribute to the Fund 50 percent of all revenues earned from the future monetization of all relevant Ukrainian Government-owned natural resource assets (whether owned directly or indirectly by the Ukrainian Government), defined as deposits of minerals, hydrocarbons, oil, natural gas, and other extractable materials, and other infrastructure relevant to natural resource assets (such as liquified natural gas terminals and port infrastructure) as agreed by both Participants, as may be further described in the Fund Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, such future sources of revenues do not include the current sources of revenues which are already part of the general budget revenues of Ukraine. Timeline, scope and sustainability of contributions will be further defined in the Fund Agreement.

The Fund, in its sole discretion, may credit or return to the Government of Ukraine actual expenses incurred by the newly developed projects from which the Fund receives revenues.

Contributions made to the Fund will be reinvested at least annually in Ukraine to promote the safety, security and prosperity of Ukraine, to be further defined in the Fund Agreement. The Fund Agreement will also provide for future distributions.

4.Subject to applicable United States law, the Government of the United States of America will maintain a long-term financial commitment to the development of a stable and economically prosperous Ukraine. Further contributions may be comprised of funds, financial instruments, and other tangible and intangible assets critical for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

5.The Fund's investment process will be designed so as to invest in projects in Ukraine and attract investments to increase the development, processing and monetization of all public and private Ukrainian assets including, but not limited to, deposits of minerals, hydrocarbons, oil, natural gas, and other extractable materials, infrastructure, ports, and state-owned enterprises as may be further described in the Fund Agreement. The Government of the United States of America and the Government of Ukraine intend that the investment process will lead to opportunities for distribution of additional funds and greater reinvestment, to ensure the sufficient supply of capital for the reconstruction of Ukraine as set out in the Fund Agreement.

The Participants reserve the right to take such action as necessary to protect and maximize the value of their economic interests in the Fund.

6.The Fund Agreement will include appropriate representations and warranties, including those necessary to ensure that any obligations the Government of Ukraine may have to third parties, or such obligations that it may undertake in the future, do not sell, convey, transfer pledge, or otherwise encumber the Government of Ukraine's contributions to the Fund or the assets from which such contributions are derived, or the Fund's disposition of funds.

In drafting the Fund Agreement, the Participants will strive to avoid conflicts with Ukraine's obligations under its accession to the European Union or its obligations under arrangements with international financial institutions and other official creditors.

7.The Fund Agreement will provide, inter alia, an acknowledgment that both the Fund Agreement and the activities provided for therein are commercial in nature.

The Fund agreement shall be ratified by the Parliament of Ukraine according to the Law of Ukraine «On International Treaties of Ukraine».

8.The Fund Agreement will pay particular attention to the control mechanisms that make it impossible to weaken, violate or circumvent sanctions and other restrictive measures.

9.The text of the Fund Agreement will be developed without delay by working groups chaired by authorized representatives of the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the United States of America.

Contact persons responsible for preparing the Fund Agreement on the basis of this Bilateral Agreement are: from the Government of the United States of America: the Department of the Treasury; from the Government of Ukraine: Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Economy.

10.This Bilateral Agreement and the Fund Agreement will constitute integral elements of the architecture of bilateral and multilateral agreements, as well as concrete steps to establish lasting peace, and to strengthen economic security resilience and reflect the objectives set forth in the preamble to this Bilateral Agreement.

The Government of the United States of America supports Ukraine's efforts to obtain security guarantees needed to establish lasting peace. Participants will seek to identify any necessary steps to protect mutual investments, as defined in the Fund Agreement.

11.This Bilateral Agreement is binding and will be implemented by each Participant according to its domestic procedures. The Government of the United States of America and the Government of Ukraine commit to proceed forthwith to negotiate the Fund Agreement.

Signed in English and Ukrainian languages, both texts are equally authentic. 

For the Government of the United States of America:

Scott K. H. Bessent

Secretary of the Treasury

For the Government of Ukraine:

Yuliia Svyrydenko

First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine – Minister of Economy of Ukraine

https://www.ign.com/articles/knowing-this-lore-makes-black-myth-wukong-way-more-enjoyable

Knowing This Lore Makes Black Myth: WuKong Way More Enjoyable

A deep dive into Journey of the West.

BY IGN STAFF

Note: All names of places, characters, and items mentioned in the article come from the original novel and do not necessarily indicate that they will appear in the game.

With the release of Black Myth: Wukong on PC and PS5, it's important to know that this game is adapted from the ancient Chinese mythological novel "Journey to the West," written in 1592. This novel is also the source of inspiration for the famous Japanese manga "Dragon Ball."

For Chinese players, "Journey to the West" is a household name known to all, but for Western players, it may be somewhat unfamiliar. Perhaps you only know the name of the protagonist, Sun Wukong, but are unaware of the wider characters and stories in the novel. Playing Black Myth: Wukong without understanding the background of the story might make it difficult to become fully immersed in the game, or possibly diminish the surprise of seeing some characters or plot elements that appear in Black Myth.

So today, I am here to tell everyone about the key characters and plot points in this novel, to help you understand everything you should know before playing Black Myth: Wukong.

Black Myth: WuKong Screenshots

Who is Sun Wukong, the Monkey King?

Just as the game title suggests, Sun Wukong is the protagonist of "Journey to the West." The novel tells the story of the monkey Sun Wukong and his fellow disciples, Zhu Bajie, a pig, and Sha Wujing (aka Sha Monk), escorting their master, Tang Sanzang (aka Tang Monk), on a pilgrimage to the West to obtain sacred Buddhist scriptures.

The novel consists of 100 chapters and narrates how Sun Wukong and his companions go through eighty-one trials and tribulations, ultimately reaching the Western Paradise, meeting the Buddha, and obtaining the true scriptures from him. The novel is almost styled like 81 levels in a video game.

As the protagonist of the novel, Sun Wukong is not only highly skilled in martial arts but also possesses a magical power known as the "72 transformation," which allows him to transform into anything including insects and animals, an ability that appears early on in Black Myth. And of course there is his famous weapon, the staff Ruyi Jingu Bang, which he acquired from the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea.

GOKU IS ANOTHER CHARACTER INSPIRED BY SUN WUKONG. CREDIT: BANDAI NAMCO.

As described in the novel, the Jingu Bang weighs 13,500 cattles (a traditional Chinese unit of weight, approximately 6750 kilograms today), and its swing can be lethal, causing serious injury upon a hit. It can also be shrunk or enlarged at will, small enough to fit into Wukong's ear and large enough to reach the sky.

However, on the journey to escort Tang Sanzang to obtain the sacred scriptures there is a need to prevent Sun Wukong's feral nature from taking over. Guanyin Bodhisattva placed a golden hoop on his head and taught Tang Sanzang the Tightening Spell. When necessary, they must recite this spell and cause the hoop to constrict, inflicting unbearable pain on Wukong's head and forcing him to obey Tang Sanzang's instructions.

THE GOLDEN BAND. CREDIT: GAME SCIENCE

In a twist, the protagonist of Black Myth Wukong isn't Sun Wukong but the Destined One, though his adventure in the game follows in Sun Wukong's footsteps. But the characters who traveled with Sun Wukong reappear in the game, and their adventures and hardships from the original novel should help clarify their importance in Black Myth.

Additionally in Black Myth, you will encounter many characters from the novel who have old ties with Sun Wukong, such as the Bull King from the Flaming Mountains. In the novel, before Sun Wukong escorted Tang Sanzang to obtain the scriptures, the Bull King and Sun Wukong were sworn brothers. His wife, Princess Iron Fan (aka Rakshasi), possesses a magical treasure called the Banana Leaf Fan,or Plantain Fan, which was later borrowed by Sun Wukong to extinguish the fire on Flaming Mountains.

Black Myth: Wukong - Official Final Trailer

At the end of the game's final trailer, there are four figures that resemble heavenly deities who are the Four Heavenly Kings, the guardians of the world from Buddhist legend. They are the most powerful warriors by the side of the Jade Emperor in the novel. How they will appear in the game and what kind of earth-shattering battle they will have with the Destined One is a surprise best left for the game.

How Black Myth's Bosses are Inspired By Journey to the West

In the game, players will also encounter different enemies and bosses, all of whom are inspired from "Journey to the West."

For instance the final boss of the first level in the game, the Black Bear Guai, is a large black bear with fire attacks. The battle arena is also filled with flames everywhere and when facing his terrifying flame attacks, it's difficult to keep from stacking fire damage and roasting alive.

But if you can find an item called the "Fireproof Mantle" earlier in the game and equip it during the battle, you will find that you can avoid all flame damage. This significantly reduces the difficulty of the fight, allowing you to focus on countering the Black Bear Guai's attacks, quickly identify his weaknesses, and defeat him.

And this Fireproof Mantle is indeed derived from the original "Journey to the West." In the novel, the Elder Jinchi of the Guanyin Temple, in order to seize Tang Sanzang's kasya robe, set fire to the temple, intending to burn Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong to death. Sun Wukong borrowed the Fireproof Mantle from the Four Heavenly Kings to protect Tang Sanzang from the disaster.

CREDIT: GAME SCIENCE.

This plot not only explains the origin of the Fireproof Mantle but also helps you understand the character of the Elder Jinchi, who appears in the secret map of the first chapter. So when you encounter an enemy in the game that is particularly difficult to deal with, you might try to search for his story in the original novel as it could be helpful for you to defeat him.

What are Yaoguai and Loong?

As a game from Chinese developer, Game Science, Black Myth: Wukong features a lot of terminology from the original Chinese that was then translated into English. Whereas Japanese games have introduced a variety of Japanese language words into the gamer lexicon, there will likely be some Chinese terms you'll encounter for the first time.

In "Black Myth: Wukong," players will encounter some novel words, such as Yaoguai or Guai. You might not know the meaning of this word, or even how to pronounce it. Yaoguai comes from the Chinese Pinyin for the character "妖怪," which means "Monster" in English, and the correct pronunciation is "/ˈjɑʊ.ɡwaɪ/."

While you might know the word Loong better as "Dragon." In Black Myth: Wukong, the use of Loong is firstly because it specifically refers to dragons from the East, and secondly, because its pronunciation is very similar to the Chinese word for "dragon."

A TRADITIONAL LOONG. CREDIT: GAME SCIENCE.

Additionally, there are some classic props and weapons in the game that also directly adopt the naming method of Pinyin, such as Sun Wukong's classic weapon, the Jingu Bang, which is also directly used in its Pinyin form.

As the first AAA game from China, seeing these unfamiliar words might feel a bit strange. But when Western players were first exposed to Japanese games words from Japanese such as Ninja, Samurai, Katana, and Manga quickly became common terms in English. One day, when Western players and Chinese players talk about "Black Myth: Wukong," discussing the key terms in the game, they will hopefully find common terms they recognize there also.

Dive Deeper

In addition to recommending the original novel, I highly recommend that everyone read the Portraits in the Journal during the game. This section will record every enemy you beat and NPC you encountered in the game, with a short story behind their origins. The truth behind the main character, the Destined One, is also hidden within these short stories.

And be sure to check out my colleague Mitchell Saltzman's review for Black Myth: Wukong for more impressions on this action-packed game.