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What did both Iraq and Ukraine have in common? They had something that was desired.
I can’t help if some only see what’s in front of them. The only question is where next? Donald Trump has reportedly agreed a deal for the US to jointly develop Ukraine’s mineral resources. Although the agreement, which has yet to be signed, is not thought to include any security guarantees for Ukraine, Kyiv will hope it will pave the way for continued US support in its fight against Russia’s invasion. The deal also appears not to include Trump’s previous demand for rights to US$500 billion (£394 billion) of revenue from Ukraine’s rare and critical minerals. But it will help secure American access to what are essential resources in the 21st century economy and for which the US has been heavily reliant on supplies from other countries, notably China. Rare minerals such as gallium are critical for advanced defence technologies but are not readily available to the US domestically. And China, a leading supplier of gallium, has used its control over the resource as leverage against the US. It has imposed a ban on rare minerals being exported to the US, as part of its retaliation to increased US tariffs on Chinese goods. Other minerals are crucial for military technology such as missile system, electronics and electric vehicles. In Ukraine, there are deposits for 22 of the 34 minerals identified by the European Union as critical. The problem for the US is that China currently accounts for a high proportion of certain critical mineral imports. So Trump sees a resolution to the Ukraine war as an opportunity to secure alternative sources of critical minerals, reducing US dependency on China and allowing Trump to take a more aggressive approach towards it. He also may not have predicted that China would hit back against the US tariffs with restrictions on these vital resources quite so quickly. Gallium is valued by the defence manufacturing industry because it is reliable and durable. In particular, the element is seen as a crucial tool enhancing radar, satellite communication systems, and electronic warfare systems. It is also used in multi-chip modules utilised by navigation and air traffic control systems. In addition to gallium, Ukraine has vast resources of graphite, an element that is used in the construction of electric vehicles and nuclear reactors, and a third of Europe’s supply of lithium, which is used in batteries. Trump’s focus on critical minerals has also influenced his interest in Greenland which possesses significant reserves of critical minerals, making it a potential alternative to Chinese-controlled resources. https://www.port.ac.uk/news-events-and-blogs/blogs/academic-expertise/why-trump-really-wants-ukraines-minerals-china-has-put-theirs-off-limits |
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Welcome back to the great old fashioned land grab. The new space race is the same…. China have gone to the moon for its minerals.
I’d written before that there are 70 towns in the US that produce munitions and other military equipment that’s been sent on tic to the Ukraine. That’s great for the local economy in the US and now they’re taking back that debt without having to give any security deals with troops on the ground! Win win! Wonder why the war has been prolonged for so long? |
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Hmm….what do you fancy for the St Leger ?
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America it’s was pillaged for what the wealth that the land had. That was after Coloumbus had landed in SanSalvador which he described as a rich and fertile land.
Not long after the trees were all cut, farming and cattle reduced the soil to being infertile and as there were no longer tress the sand swept across the island making it barren. It’s been going on for years. |
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I don’t have a strong fancy for it or much interest Ace, how about you?
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Still studying tbh….I’ll make my decision later….
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Delashay • September 10, 2025 11:06 AM BST
I’d like to see Jersey boy and the small stable collect, nothing personal to you, like an underdog. He put it up ap @ 9/1 and I never trust when AOB runs a few. Scan I thought too short and felt it was fav because we didn’t know about the participation of Lambourn. Stay True I’d fear if backing either those as he was off for ages and Smith said at Lingfield that he hit the line strong. |
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Jerseyboy • August 22, 2025 9:22 AM BST
Back Carmers each way thank me later.. jerseyboy • August 22, 2025 10:47 AM BST Delashay Its locally owned. I have backed it in all 4 of its races, 3 wins and one second with not the clearest of runs, messed around by the other runners from one particular yard. Will like the extra 2 furlongs or so, on at app 9/1 just need good luck. He stuck his neck out and I respect anyone who can look beyond AOB or a fav. |
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Thanks for the minerals info. dela.
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No worries, not long ago they were talking of dividing like Germany was - East and West if you remember. It’s all a stage, so the likes of Pump can make claims like, “they’d never of invaded if I was still in power…” or “I’ll end it in a day.”
Also remember that they claimed there was Russian influence on that first election that saw him first gain power? I don’t believe for a minute that he truly wants peace, there was a quote where he actually said , “We need what you have, we need your minerals.” Poor Zelenskyy is a pawn. |
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Trump to offer Putin minerals for peace
US president will propose money-making opportunities to encourage Russia to end Ukraine war Convenient that he was out of power and that time let them build up that debt and now that deal is done! Look at the map and what’s there : https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/08/13/trump-to-present-minerals-deal-to-putin-in-alaska/ |
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During his first 100 days in office, Trump spoke of acquiring Greenland and didn’t rule out a military intervention. With Ukraine, the US president complained that the country was taking US weapons without giving back anything in return. In one of his classic transactional moves, Trump proposed that Ukraine pay its “debt” with the mineral resources beneath its soil.
That’s not a guy who should be spoken about with the Nobel Peace Prize. Geopolitics and minerals were a dual priority from the beginning. “During the Second World War and in the early years of the Cold War, the United States was well aware of the strategic resource potential of Greenland,” Klaus Dodds points out. “And that partly explains why Harry Truman offered to purchase the island in 1946. At that time, the interest was largely in cryolite, which was essential to the manufacture of aluminum.” The above is taken from this, all seems pretty clear to me. Human life is irrelevant. https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/trump-dreams-of-minerals-in-ukraine-and-greenland/ |