29/03/2025
The Ukraine deal and why some are referring to the terms as extortion and new age colonialism
Taken from the article....
"It seems the Trump administration has reneged on the previous 'minerals agreement' and is back to good ol' fashioned extortion & colonialism. While the previously agreed arrangement would have seen Ukraine and the US form a joint venture where new resource operations would have paid into a fund that reinvests in Ukraine's development, the new demands aims to have 'sweeping control Ukraine’s critical minerals and energy assets, while offering Kyiv no security guarantees in return'
- It would apply to all mineral resources, including oil and gas
- New or existing, public or privately owned
- US would have a veto and 3-to-2 voting on decisions
- Veto would also allow the US to prohibit Ukrainian business with other countries
- US would get first right on resources and not fair market bidding
- Same for reconstruction contracts
- US would get all profits from the fund, no splitting
- Terms last forever, with Ukraine paying 4% interest on Biden-era aid of $100 billion
- The deal offers no security guarantees or ties to future military assistance
"Senior Ukrainian officials said the proposal could undermine their nation’s sovereignty, route profits abroad and deepen its dependence on Washington," and three officials said the deal was unlikely to happen now. One said the new US draft proposal is “unfair”, while another likened it to “robbery”. In Paris on Thursday, Zelenskyy said the US was “constantly” changing the terms of the agreement.
It appears that the threat of cutting off aid emboldened US negotiators to return to their previous extreme demands, or are intentionally proposing such bad terms to give cause to cut off Ukraine and work with Russia directly. In recent days, US officials have been open to lifting sanctions on Russia despite the lack of a ceasefire, and have even called on Europe to do the same.
- Mat
It seems the Trump administration has reneged on the previous 'minerals agreement' and is back to good ol' fashioned extortion & colonialism. While the previously agreed arrangement would have seen Ukraine and the US form a joint venture where new resource operations would have paid into a fund that reinvests in Ukraine's development, the new demands aims to have 'sweeping control Ukraine’s critical minerals and energy assets, while offering Kyiv no security guarantees in return'
- It would apply to all mineral resources, including oil and gas
- New or existing, public or privately owned
- US would have a veto and 3-to-2 voting on decisions
- Veto would also allow the US to prohibit Ukrainian business with other countries
- US would get first right on resources and not fair market bidding
- Same for reconstruction contracts
- US would get all profits from the fund, no splitting
- Terms last forever, with Ukraine paying 4% interest on Biden-era aid of $100 billion
- The deal offers no security guarantees or ties to future military assistance
"Senior Ukrainian officials said the proposal could undermine their nation’s sovereignty, route profits abroad and deepen its dependence on Washington," and three officials said the deal was unlikely to happen now. One said the new US draft proposal is “unfair”, while another likened it to “robbery”. In Paris on Thursday, Zelenskyy said the US was “constantly” changing the terms of the agreement.
It appears that the threat of cutting off aid emboldened US negotiators to return to their previous extreme demands, or are intentionally proposing such bad terms to give cause to cut off Ukraine and work with Russia directly. In recent days, US officials have been open to lifting sanctions on Russia despite the lack of a ceasefire, and have even called on Europe to do the same.
- Mat
