US demands on Ukraine surpass Germany’s post-war reparations – The Telegraph
18 February 2025 08:47
Trump’s $500 billion “deal” on rare earth metals envisages applying conditions to Ukraine that are worse than the reparations imposed on Germany after World War I. This is stated in the article of The Telegraph, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
The terms of the “contract”, which was received by the Office of the President of Ukraine a week ago, actually provide for the economic colonization of Ukraine by the United States for an indefinite period. The document has caused anxiety and panic in Kyiv, the newspaper claims.
The Telegraph obtained a draft of the preliminary contract, marked “Confidential” and dated February 7, 2025. It states that the United States and Ukraine should create a joint investment fund to ensure that “hostile parties to the conflict do not benefit from Ukraine’s reconstruction.”
The agreement covers “economic value associated with the resources of Ukraine”, including “mineral resources, oil and gas resources, ports, other infrastructure (as agreed)”, leaving it unclear what else might be included.
Key provisions of the agreement:
- The agreement will be governed by the laws of the State of New York.
- The United States will receive 50% of Ukraine’s regular revenues from resource extraction.
- The United States will receive 50% of the financial value of “all new licenses issued to third parties” for future monetization of resources.
- The United States will have the right to be the first to purchase any exported minerals.
- A lien on such revenues will be established in favor of the United States.
According to a source close to the negotiations, the pledge clause means
“pay us first, and then feed your children.”
Blackmail in the absence of guarantees
Donald Trump claims that the United States has spent $300 billion on the war, adding that it would be foolish to hand over even more. In fact, the five packages agreed upon by Congress total $175 billion, of which $70 billion was spent in the United States on weapons production. Some of this aid was provided in the form of humanitarian grants, but a significant portion is funds from the Lend-Lease program that must be returned.
Trump told Fox News that Ukraine has “essentially agreed” to hand over $500 billion in minerals.
“They have extremely valuable land in terms of rare earth elements, oil and gas, and other things,” he said,
– he said.
Moreover, Trump said that Ukraine would be handed to Putin “on a plate” if it rejects the terms.
“They may or may not make a deal. They may or may not become Russian someday. But I want this money back,”
– he said.
Ukraine’s surreal resources
Zelenskyy himself proposed the idea of giving the United States direct involvement in the development of Ukraine’s rare earth elements and critical minerals during a visit to Trump in September, hoping to secure continued arms shipments. He hoped that this would lead to the creation of American companies on the ground, which would be a safeguard against a repeat Russian attack.
Some mineral basins are located near the front line in eastern Ukraine or in Russian-occupied territories. Zelenskyy emphasized the danger of strategic reserves of titanium, tungsten, uranium, graphite, and rare earth elements falling into Russian hands.
At the same time, the publication notes that talk of Ukraine’s resource wealth has become surreal. The figure of $26 trillion for combined mineral and hydrocarbon reserves is mentioned. These amounts are unrealistic.
Ukraine probably has the largest lithium pool in Europe. But lithium prices fell by 88% after the bubble burst in 2022. Large reserves are being discovered around the world. The value of lithium lies in processing and derivative industries. The unprocessed rock deposits in Ukraine are almost useless to the US.
“…Is it fair to treat a victim nation like this after it held the battle line for liberal democracies for three years, making huge sacrifices? Who is really in debt here? Zelenskiy has to choose between a military attack from Putin and an economic attack from his own ally,”
– the Telegraph writes.
Is Ukraine a victim or an aggressor?
The Treaty of Versailles, signed on June 28, 1919, imposed severe restrictions on Germany as the aggressor state in World War I. They had to compensate for the damage caused by the war and prevent future aggression. One of the key provisions of the document was reparations, which made Germany responsible for financial compensation to the Entente countries.
The total amount of payments was set at 132 billion gold marks, which at the time corresponded to approximately 33 billion US dollars, and in terms of today’s money, it is 442 billion dollars. These funds were to be paid not only in cash, but also in goods such as coal, steel, agricultural products, and other resources necessary for the reconstruction of the affected regions of Europe. Thus, the reparations imposed on the aggressor state in World War I were less than the payments demanded by an “ally” from the victim state in the Russian-Ukrainian war.
The Treaty of Versailles also significantly limited Germany’s military potential. Its army could not exceed 100,000 men, universal military service was banned, as well as the production of heavy artillery, tanks, aircraft, and submarines. Germany had to disband the General Staff and reduce its navy to a minimum size. Presumably, similar provisions regarding the victim of aggression will be on the table in Saudi Arabia today.
Trump does not envision any sanctions against the aggressor state.
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