5mo ago

‘It’s blackmail’: Ukrainians react to Trump demand for $500bn share of minerals

www.theguardian.com

Summary

Donald Trump has demanded a $500bn claim on Ukraine's mineral wealth, including lithium, as compensation for the U.S. military support.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refused, insisting on security guarantees and fair investment terms.

Commentators labeled Trump’s demand “mafia imperialism,” stirring major fears of colonial exploitation.

Locals near a potential lithium mine in Kirovohrad region want new jobs but reject Trump’s ultimatum, calling it “blackmail.”

21 comments

Didn’t he try to shake them down once? Resulting in impeachment? I seem to remember something like that from long ago.
- yes. he literally extorted Ukraine for political dirt on hunter biden. and then somehow he managed to peddle to people this year the lie that he could bring lasting and meaningful peace to Ukraine. i even know of a few Ukrainians who voted for him because they bought this lie.
  it's a far less visible version of the people who thought voting for him would help Gaza. this dude's actions tell the story of a fascist dictator who wants to destroy every alliance america has ever had and buddy up to russia.
That’s the same incorrect usage of the term blackmail as Elron Musk in his idiotic “don’t try to blackmail me with money” speech. The proper term is extortion.
- The X makes it sound cooler
  
  I got you
The sooner this war is over and all the fat, American armchair generals find something else to chat about, the better.
I agree that this deal by Trump is exceedingly shitty, but he's literally just doing what the US always does. The US offers "aid", but it's realistically always done so with ulterior motives and side deals in place, just usually more subtle, like requiring a country to put a leader malleable to American corporate interests in place. Crack open an American history book and you'll see this over and over.
The major criticism here is that a demand this egregious, historically, is almost certainly a precursor to more widespread conflict. Trump's demands are comparable to those placed on Germany in the wake of WWI, and we all know where that led. Ukraine being the country that was invaded makes this even more vulgar.
The positive thing here is that Europe and others are now taking the threat of Trump and looming fascism a tad more seriously and working to become less dependent on the US, which is objectively a good thing. Also, a shitty end to a war is better than permanent war. I'd rather see this war end in a less-than-ideal way than see another 20 years of dead soldiers, wasted trillions, and THEN a shitty end to the war like what happened in Afghanistan and Iraq.
- wasted trillions
  You misspelled "redirected trillions from taxpayers to military contractors".
- Fair.
  Ukraine as a state is probably “gone” in a shitty deal though. One half is too restricted, indebted, and small to ever recover, the other half either a devastated vassal or (honestly more ideally) part of Russia. At least Afghanistan would ostensibly stay a state after whoever invaded it.
- working to become less dependent on the US
  requiring a country to put a leader malleable to American corporate interests in place.
  European governments are not working to become less dependent on the US they are simply empowering and enriching themself.
and they only supplied directly under 100b apparently. the rest of the aid went to usa contracts. think another story mentions in total under 200b so far between usa contracts and what was delivered
- Im pretty sure he thinks all these weapons deals are donations, they aren't.
This is Ukrainium, $500bn per ounce.
One ounce of dirt later and Fearless Leader is satisfied
"China has offered 600 billion. We'll sell it to them, give you 500 and still come out ahead 100 billion. Art of the Deal."
How to make Trump's head explode.
- They don't owe Trump 500 billion though. That number was made up by Trump. The real number was an order of magnitude less.
  
  True. After DOGE didn't manage to see the difference between million and billion in their savings calculation, asking for receipts is a very good idea.
No, actually,it is extortion and ceorcion. Perhaps even highway robbery.
It most certainly is.
Now putin can point and say "See! The evil west just wants to profit from the war!"
Lithium mines? No wonder musks lil bitch is gonna end the war over extorting minerals
Ukrainian children yearn for the mines
It has always been blackmail

21 comments