Kyiv – In a direct, customary manner, and in the firm “I want”, far from the methods and customs of diplomacy, US President Donald Trump seemed to bargain Ukraine to resume its support and aid in exchange for its rare and precious minerals.
From his point of view, this “settlement” is satisfied by Kiev for $ 300 billion in Washington’s support, which constitutes about 40% of Ukraine’s need in the midst of war with Russia, according to President Voludimir Zellinski.
Huge wealth is expensive
This “bargaining” – if you will – raises questions about Ukraine’s wealth, which many do not know, even within the country, and about its importance and size that opens Trump’s appetite – apparently – and pushes him to shift from reluctance towards generosity in supporting Kiev.
According to government and other sites belonging to universities, companies or studies centers, the lands of Ukraine include 117 out of 120 types of minerals that humanity uses.
Although Ukraine has not occurred in its natural wealth since the beginning of the year 2005, it indicated that its value was between 7 and 10 trillion dollars, meaning that the per capita share of it amounted to 150-200 thousand dollars, according to local and western experts.
But the “Forbes Ukraine” magazine said in a report published last year that the lands of Ukraine contains 111 billion tons of mineral resources, with a value of about $ 15 trillion.
Minerals sing about China
Trump’s eye may not focus on all the metal wealth of Ukraine, but rather on rare and precious minerals before anything else, such as gold, silver, mercury, blelyium, lithium, uranium, in addition to titanium, zirconium, havhenium, tentalum, niobum, cobalt, tingnestin, molybinum, lanadium, endoma, germanium and scandium.
“Ukraine contains the deposits of 22 of the fifty minerals that the United States classifies is extremely important. Ukraine has the largest reserves of lithium and titanium in Europe, which is one of the main components in the production of smartphones and combat aircraft,” said Yaroslav Galileo, deputy director of the National Institute for Strategic Studies in Kiev. .
He adds to Al -Jazeera Net, “America’s interest in these and other minerals stems from its high price, as well as it depends by 80% on its imports from China, so the deal is undoubtedly profitable for Trump because it has a substitute for the largest economic enemy, or a diversification of the sources at least limits the industry need American for Chinese materials. ”
According to government and other sites belonging to universities, companies or studies centers, the lands of Ukraine include 117 out of 120 types of minerals that humanity uses.
Ukrainian welcome
Whatever the American motives, it is clear that Ukraine welcomes the idea and connects it to the “victory” plan that has been promoting it globally for months.
“The plan presented by Ukraine includes a clause for natural resources, which opens the partners with opportunities for investment and development, and this constitutes a common strategic interest,” said Foreign Minister Andre Sibha.
“We can buy liquefied natural gas from the United States, and store it in our huge storage facilities under the ground. This will be sufficient to ensure energy security in Europe,” he said, for example.
According to expert Yaroslav Galileo, “These are important deals for Kiev, which guarantees obtaining security guarantees from the United States and Western countries, and then advance the country’s economy after the war years.”
The war of controlling resources
However, the penetration of the “profitable” deal will not be easy on both sides, in which Russia enters as a hidden third party that is practically controlled, and by virtue of the current fait accompli, about 60% of Ukraine’s capabilities.
“The goal of Russia from its war is the resources before the lands. We must recognize that 70% of Ukraine’s wealth, especially minerals, which include iron and coal, to precious metals, is located in Donitsk, Luhanssk and Denipoproptrovsk, Russia’s provinces occupy about 60% of its total areas.
“Recently, Russia’s forces have reached the largest lithium materials, which are also close to huge and only mines for rare coke in Donetsk province, which carries the brand K.”.
Landa continues: In 2021, Ukraine was issued about 20 million tons of minerals and metal products, and in the first half of 2023 it was issued only 2.5 million tons. We lost about 80% of exports, so stopping the war and restoring wealth and exports is of strategic importance.
Landa: 70% of Ukraine’s wealth is located in Donetsk, Luhanssk and Dniprobetrovsk provinces, which are provinces that Russia occupies about 60% of its areas
Stopping a deal
However, the writer Landa sees in the American -Ukrainian deal a “positive signal” because Trump, who has always focused on the topic of dialogue with Moscow, NATO expenses and aid money, began to understand that there is a threat to Ukraine’s strategic resources to become an affordable power factor. This not only belongs to Russia, but its strategic partner is China as well. “
He says, “Strategic and economically, this is a truly profitable deal for the Americans if it enters into force, and I believe that this is a strong motivation to change Trump his tone towards Moscow and pressure it strongly to stop the war,” he says.
