Trump demands raw materials from Ukraine: a deal with risks?

Trump demands raw materials from Ukraine: a deal with risks?

Kiew, Ukraine - President Donald Trump has heralded a controversial turn in the United States' foreign policy towards Ukraine by demanding that Kiev deliver valuable raw materials such as rare earths and oil in exchange for military aid. During a meeting, Trump explained: "I want you to give us something for all 'the money we have applied. We want rare earth and oil, everything we can get" that raises the negotiations between the US government and the Ukrainian leadership to a new tension level, as vienna.at reported.

The talks are currently underway, but Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj was skeptical about the current agreement, since Kiev insists on security guarantees in the USA. The United States is planning to obtain rare earths from Ukraine in order to become less dependent on the dependence on China. This is particularly relevant, since China is the global market leader in the promotion and processing of these strategic resources, so Tageschau.de . Many of the raw materials occurred are also in controversial areas that are controlled by Russia.

a risky trade?

Trump intends to position the USA as a leading actor in the rare earth area. Ukrainian political scientists see both opportunities and risks in the negotiations. "When we talk about rare earths, we should consider that a considerable part of it is in the war zone and that there is de facto a struggle for resources," argued Igor Tschalenko. While some experts hope that the arrival of American companies could lead to an economic revival, there are also concerns that Ukraine is put under pressure to sell their resources at lower prices due to their current crisis situation. This dynamic could have long -term consequences for the Ukrainian economy and sovereignty.