I have a question, and I might make a larger post expanding my question eventually.
What’s stopping zelensky from straight up not promising the 500B rare minerals to the US? Say what you will, but in the end of the day this (potential) peace deal is a stab in the back not just for zelensky but western Europe too.
He did say he needs 1.5M troops in Ukraine. Hypothetically speaking, what’s stopping him from locking the minerals behind a deal for nato soldiers in Ukraine? I just don’t see how Europe and zelensky are going to accept this deal (peacefully at least) without getting some concessions. Even if they’re just symbolic concessions.
What’s stopping zelensky from straight up not promising the 500B rare minerals to the US?
America turns to Russia, says “This game is no fun anymore, I’m heading home, it’s all yours” and that’s game over. Ukraine doesn’t exist without the backing of the United States.
First of all Ukraine doesn’t have anywhere near that amount or the capacity to produce anywhere near enough every year to fulfil an obligation of that magnitude in a hundred years. So this was a pipe dream from the very beginning. This is Ukraine bargaining with cards it doesn’t have.
Secondly, Trump doesn’t see this as a deal for further additional aid, let alone a military commitment. He sees it as demanding back some of the money that the US has already invested. And Zelensky has absolutely no leverage whatsoever to demand anything.
And finally, who is going to deploy soldiers to Ukraine? It would be political suicide for a US president to do it, at the moment that is completely out of the question. And Europe? They are a joke. Even if they had anyone to send, no one in Europe wants to do that, especially not if the US refuses to get involved.
I have a question, and I might make a larger post expanding my question eventually.
What’s stopping zelensky from straight up not promising the 500B rare minerals to the US? Say what you will, but in the end of the day this (potential) peace deal is a stab in the back not just for zelensky but western Europe too.
He did say he needs 1.5M troops in Ukraine. Hypothetically speaking, what’s stopping him from locking the minerals behind a deal for nato soldiers in Ukraine? I just don’t see how Europe and zelensky are going to accept this deal (peacefully at least) without getting some concessions. Even if they’re just symbolic concessions.
America turns to Russia, says “This game is no fun anymore, I’m heading home, it’s all yours” and that’s game over. Ukraine doesn’t exist without the backing of the United States.
First of all Ukraine doesn’t have anywhere near that amount or the capacity to produce anywhere near enough every year to fulfil an obligation of that magnitude in a hundred years. So this was a pipe dream from the very beginning. This is Ukraine bargaining with cards it doesn’t have.
Secondly, Trump doesn’t see this as a deal for further additional aid, let alone a military commitment. He sees it as demanding back some of the money that the US has already invested. And Zelensky has absolutely no leverage whatsoever to demand anything.
And finally, who is going to deploy soldiers to Ukraine? It would be political suicide for a US president to do it, at the moment that is completely out of the question. And Europe? They are a joke. Even if they had anyone to send, no one in Europe wants to do that, especially not if the US refuses to get involved.