Summary
Ukraine is hesitating to sign a U.S.-backed deal that would grant American companies access to 50% of its rare earth minerals in exchange for continued military support.
President Zelenskyy cited legal concerns and the lack of security guarantees.
The deal, pushed by Trump allies, aims to showcase Ukraine’s value to U.S. interests while reducing reliance on Chinese minerals.
However, Kyiv’s 2021 strategic partnership with the EU complicates negotiations, as European leaders resist surrendering shared resources to Washington. Talks remain ongoing.
That’s a very apt analogy. I hadn’t thought of it that way, but Trump’s demands so far remind me of his stupid nonsense about making Mexico pay for his wall back in 2016.
He honestly thinks everyone’s just going to lay down.
He operates under the assumption that audacity equals strategy, as if shouting demands into the void will make them manifest. The “Mexico will pay for it” fiasco was the prototype: a hollow threat wrapped in nationalist theater. It’s not about anyone laying down; it’s about how long they can keep up the charade before the cracks show.
The real tragedy is that these tactics aren’t even subtle. It’s all brute force masquerading as diplomacy, a sledgehammer where a scalpel is needed. People see through it, but the machine churns on, feeding on apathy and short memories. The question isn’t whether anyone lays down—it’s whether anyone stands up long enough to matter.