1d ago

Trump demands $500B in rare earths from Ukraine for continued support

www.politico.eu Trump demands $500B in rare earths from Ukraine for continued support – POLITICO

Summary

Donald Trump stated that U.S. aid to Ukraine should be compensated with $500 billion worth of its mineral resources, including rare earth elements.

He claimed Ukraine had "essentially agreed" to this arrangement. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hinted at allowing U.S. access to these resources to maintain support.

The idea aligns with Ukraine’s "victory plan" for post-war recovery.

Trump's comments drew criticism, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemning his approach as "very egotistic, very self-centered."

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24h ago

Trump demands $500B in rare earths from Ukraine for continued support

www.politico.eu /article/trump-demands-500b-in-rare-earths-from-ukraine-for-support/

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1d ago

Trump demands $500B in rare earths from Ukraine for continued support

www.politico.eu /article/trump-demands-500b-in-rare-earths-from-ukraine-for-support/

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1d ago

Trump demands $500B in rare earths from Ukraine for continued support

www.politico.eu /article/trump-demands-500b-in-rare-earths-from-ukraine-for-support/

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75 comments

He never intended to support Ukraine. Never. This is just some bullshit to act like he's "Justified" in cutting support. Just wait until he finds an excuse to give it to Russia instead.

This is what the mafia does. Racketeering in exchange for protection... from itself (=in this case, Russia)
- Trump has larped as a mobster for most of his life.

extortion is called "demands" if you are powerful enough

Zelensky should agree: he can always renege after the war, claiming he did what he had to do to stay independent like the Finns did after WW2 to justify inviting the Nazis in, and pointing to Trump himself as the quintessential untrustworthy ruler who readily goes back on his word.
- Also what Russia did to Ukraine after Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons in exchange for a pledge to never invade.
- Zelensky should. Trump makes trade deals and then renege's on them all the time.
  
  renege’s
- Can you elaborate on what the Finns did exactly? Or point me in the right direction. I just want to understand the parallel.
  
  Basically Finland asked for military assistance from Nazi Germany to keep the Soviet Union at bay. German troops fought the Soviets on Finnish soil. And then when the war turned sour for Germany, Finland turned against Germany and kicked them out - more or less at the behest of the United States.
  Finland's problem has always been its gigantic aggressive neighbor to the east - and it still has that problem today. It explained its cozy relationship with Nazi Germany by the need to keep a bigger problem at bay. And it was completely true and completely rational.
  But what was also true - and I know it for a fact because I talked to Finns who lived through the war and housed Germans - is that the German troops behaved impeccably in Finland and left a very good impression, even today. The Finns aren't too proud of that but it's a fact, and it's even understandable from the point of view of individual Finns of the time.
  After the war, not wanting to lose a potential ally in the newly-established Cold War, the US sort of accepted Finland's rationale and let it slide. Kind of like they did with France too, which equally deserved a lot more flak than they got.
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland_in_World_War_II
- The art of the deal
- Fins didn't invite Nazis. Route to Norway through Finnish territory was prerequisite for much needed military supplies and weapons. After the germans were here they pretty much went where they pleased. No official military alliance was signed.

This is, for a sense of scale, more than five times the total value of everything the US has sent to Ukraine since February 2022
- The entire gdp of the country is under $200B. Lol he's asking for resources worth over 2.5X the value of the entire country 🤡
  
  They have like 25 Trillion of estimated rare earth minerals under their feet and most of it is on the border of Russian controlled territory.
  If they make a deal to allow US companies to extract it and get security guarantees for a decade or so from the US, it might actually be a decent deal. (Assuming that the US won't randomly turn on you because they are batshit crazy)
- Well, there also is a big amount of rebuilding to be done and no matter who would be in the US government, there would be a strong push for the rebuilding to end in factories, apartments and farms to be owned by US investors. Also the US has a history of combining "security" with resource access.
  In this regards Ukraine is getting fucked by receiving less aid than is needed to push back, but just enough to cause maximal attrition to Russia. And using the vast destruction caused by a prolonged war, was likely part of the strategy to profit off this war, both for Russia expecting victory and the US/Western Allies expecting Russia to eventually succumb to the attrition.
  Now problem is that Russia kept escalating, instead of limiting their losses.

This is a Red alert. What he actually said, outside of the headline.
They might give us the minerals, they may not
Ukraine may be Russian in the future, it may not
either way, we (USA) have all this money in the country, and we're getting it back
- we’re getting it back
  Only an absolute ass would consider that a loan.
  
  Only an idiot would think that Ukraine would actually have half a trillion dollars worth, and that they'd give it all to the USA even if USA blackmail them here. Zelensky will say lots right now to persuade the orange one. But he also won't be in power after the war to see it through, very few leaders are retained after any way.
  Ukrainian neutrality was effectively guaranteed by America, UK, and Russia when they gave up their nukes. And there is also an economic clause to this agreement
  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukraine_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction
  
  The assumption would be post war the support would be reconciled similar to the way we handled Lend-Lease. Most of the aid would not be recovered but a portion would over a VERY long time. The US would basically have Ukraine paying interest forever while making trade deals to reduce the principle. All of them s was a play by Zelensky to kiss the ring and secure continued support. Trump just showed the world how much of a Russian ASSet he is, again.
  
  good thing the country has tens of millions of absolute asses

The entire war has always been about their resources
- ~~The entire~~ war has always been about their resources
  FTFY
  
  ~~The entire~~ war has always been ~~about their resources~~
  FTFY

What a cunt

America shows its colours.
It was never freedom, it was money and power all along.
- Always has been. Most of the shit they got up to after WW2 violated the human rights of half the planet, was anti-democratic, and imperialistic.
  
  American imperialism mostly halted under Clinton and Obama. The cold war was over and they weren't jingoistic like Bush or Trump.
- That's every country in the world.
  
  Pretty much. But America doubly so
  
  That’s every country in the world.
  Some countries operate as administrators of shared consolidated resources. Some forget this and become America. You'll spot the difference one day.
- At least they are open about it this time around.
- Nothing Biden gave them was free. They took on huge debt to get it.
  In don't like Trump but this is prob better than owing more debt. Not sure if the 500B is fair, but that's for Ukraine to decide.
  
  Bullshit. Almost all of the aid given to Ukraine from the US is in the form of non-repayable grants. Ukraine doesn't have “huge debts” to the US. Trump wants to change this.
  
  What Biden gave them was peanuts. Enough to not lose everything. But not enough to take back the territory when the opportunity was there, and seemingly not even enough to hold the line as it is anymore. The only equipment they ever gave in large quantity for fighting a mechanized war was the himars launchers and ammunition and maybe the Bradleys.
  Make no mistake, America NEVER had any intention of helping Ukraine win.

Isn't this Zelenskyy's original plan that he pitched even before Trump got elected then?
The fourth point of the peace plan is economic: Zelenskyy calls on allied countries to implement “joint investment” plans to exploit Ukraine’s natural resources: “Ukraine has natural resources and critical metals worth trillions of dollars,” he notes. “These include uranium, titanium, lithium, graphite, and other strategic resources, which will either strengthen Russia or Ukraine and the democratic world.”
https://www.cfr.org/expert-brief/zelenskyys-victory-plan-ukraine-makes-sense-it-has-little-chance-being-implemented
- This is how trump operates.
  Postures, bullies, makes loads of noise in order to get what someone else has already agreed to.
  Then, cause he was so noisy about it, he gets all the press coverage, and the neo-nazis chock it up as another win
  
  Trump would walk into a coffee shop and threaten to buy out the place and fire everybody if they didn't sell him a cup at the cost they're charging. Then he'd claim victory and boast of his negotiation skills.
- That's the thing, those listed items arent rare earths, arent they?
  As far as I know, Ukraine has some rare earth, but I don't think it's particularily much. So let him make a deal for rare earths that arent really there.
  
  Well they do have rare earth minerals valued in Trillions of dollars and it's mostly all in or bodering Russian controlled territory.

The last time he wanted dirt on his political rival. Atleast this time he is working within the boundaries of the law, even if it is skeevy AF.

Blackmailer in chief.

Every new press photo makes him look more and more like a 60s Batman villain. Louie the Lilac vibes.

- "Even I have my limits. I'm evil, but I'm not a monster."

I wish the EU was in a position to make a better offer.
- It could deliver more military support. But the political system, which I'd like to keep btw, doesn't allow a switch to war economy.
  People like their social security, culture support and education and don't want tax raises. Politicians can't do what they want without losing support of the voters. And then there are the agendas of the many political parties in many countries...
- It is, it just doesn't have the will to do so at the moment.
  I hope they muster their political capital to back Ukraine.

So giving the US a real stake in the security of a non-NATO state is the worst thing in history now? How is this not a win-win for everyone except the military industrial complex who wants to see nothing but constant, bloody war?
- "worst thing in history", no.
  "Terrible and exploitative, and untrustworthy besides"? Yes.
- And to add to this point for everyone saying how high the number is, that's how all geopolitical negotiations work. Trumpnjust doesn't shut his mouth so we're hearing the initial ridiculously higher proposal. I'd be willing to bet if this goes through the actual number is guna be closer to 2-2.5 billion. Half of the initial proposal. Not because Trump is fuckin savy but because that's how this shit usually works.
  Ukraine is getting the military support to hold its own. Plus a country's ability to hold and repay debt is what the global economy runs on so having good credit with US will likely help them in the long run.
  
  Half of the initial proposal is $250 billion, not $2.5 billion. $250 billion is the entire GDP of Ukraine. There is no world in which half a trillion is a sensible number here
  
  It probably will be $500 billion, but over 20 years and not factoring in investment costs.
- It has the added bonus on being exactly the thing Russia invaded Ukraine over.

Wouldn't be funny if Russia interjected "Hey, we have rare earths. Want some?"

That has always been the plan, Ukraine proposed it way back. Art of the deal.
That's more than twice the Ukraine GDP btw

75 comments