Colonialist fantasies- Trump’s Gaza video, Grasping Ukraine’s minerals

The latest situation regarding Ukraine’s minerals and US demands is as follows:

1. A draft agreement has been reached between Ukraine and the United States concerning critical minerals, valued at approximately $1 trillion14.

2. Key details of the agreement include:

   • The establishment of an “investment fund” for Ukraine’s reconstruction, overseen jointly by Kyiv and Washington2.

   • Ukraine will allocate 50% of future earnings from its state-owned mineral resources, oil, and gas to this fund27.

   • The US will own the maximum share of the fund permissible under American law2.

3. The deal does not include security guarantees for Ukraine or commitments for arms supplies from the US1. However, it emphasizes the US desire for Ukraine to remain “free, sovereign, and secure”1.

4. Earlier US demands for a $500 billion claim over Ukraine’s natural resources have been dropped in the latest draft7.

5. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to visit Washington on Friday to finalize the “very significant deal” with US President Donald Trump14.

6. The agreement is seen as an effort by Kyiv to secure backing from the US administration amid ongoing tensions regarding Washington’s engagement with Moscow to resolve the conflict in Ukraine1.

7. Concerns persist about the broader implications of the deal, as security experts caution that it may not adequately address Ukraine’s ongoing security challenges amid continued Russian aggression6.

8. A significant portion of Ukraine’s mineral resources, estimated at $350 billion, remains in territories under Russian occupation8. This includes 63% of Ukrainian coal mines and half of the country’s manganese, titanium, and rare earth deposits8.

9. The US interest in Ukraine’s minerals is partly driven by a desire to reduce dependence on China, which dominates 75% of the world’s rare earth deposits8.

10. Ukraine holds about 5% of the world’s mineral deposits, with reserves estimated to be worth $14.8 trillion. However, accessing these resources remains challenging due to the ongoing conflict and economic feasibility issues3.