The US demands 50% of Ukraine's mineral resources: a game of resources and strategy

This proposal quickly drew widespread attention and heated discussions globally, not only revealing the complexity of the US-Ukraine relationship but also touching upon the sensitive nerve of global resource competition and geopolitical games.

Rare earth resources are hailed as the "vitamins" of modern industry, playing an irreplaceable role in high-tech electronic devices, defense and military equipment, and many other fields. As a global technological and military power, the United States has an especially urgent demand for rare earth resources. However, the United States' own capacity for rare earth resource extraction and processing is severely inadequate, and it has long been highly dependent on imports, putting it in a passive position in the global rare earth supply chain. Therefore, when the United States discovered that Ukraine has rich rare earth deposits, it couldn't wait to make the above demand.

The motives behind the US move are clearly multifaceted. Firstly, from an economic perspective, controlling Ukraine's rare earth resources would enable the United States to dominate the global rare earth market, thereby having the power to influence pricing and reap huge profits. Secondly, from a strategic perspective, possessing rare earth resources means having a grip on the key raw materials for high-tech industries and advanced manufacturing, which would further consolidate the United States' leading position in these fields. Additionally, the United States also aims to weaken Russia's influence by controlling Ukraine's rare earth resources, expand its own sphere of influence in Eastern Europe, and gain a more advantageous position in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and future geopolitical games.

In response to the demands of the US, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has shown a firm stance of refusal. Zelensky believes that accepting this agreement would mean Ukraine permanently losing control over its key resources, and the presence of US troops would further intensify the conflict with Russia. Ukraine emphasizes that any resource agreement must be linked to the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the agreement proposed by the US clearly fails to meet this requirement.

Ukraine's refusal is not without reason. Firstly, as a sovereign state, Ukraine has the right to protect its natural resources from foreign control. Secondly, Ukraine is well aware of its predicament in the conflict with Russia, and accepting the US demands might further enrage Russia and escalate the conflict. Additionally, Ukraine is concerned that the presence of US troops could have negative impacts on its domestic politics and economy.

The incident where the US demands Ukraine hand over 50% of its mineral resources has drawn widespread attention and heated discussions in the international community. The EU has remained silent on this matter, but analysts point out that Europe is both concerned about the US monopolizing Ukraine's resource benefits and lacks a feasible alternative aid plan. Meanwhile, Russia has issued warnings through diplomatic channels, accusing the US of turning Ukraine into a colony and warning that the entry of US troops into Ukraine would be regarded as a direct military threat.

In addition, major rare earth resource demand countries such as China and Japan have also expressed concern over this matter. The Ministry of Commerce of China emphasized respecting the sovereignty of resource countries, which may be seen as a signal of adjusting its rare earth export policy. Meanwhile, Japan is worried that the resource passage in the Far East might be blocked and has proactively expressed its hope to enhance mutual understanding with Russia.

The impact of this event goes far beyond this. Firstly, it has intensified the tension in the US-Ukraine relationship, making the already complex geopolitical landscape even more confusing. Secondly, it has triggered global attention and discussion on the competition for rare earth resources, prompting countries to accelerate the search for alternative rare earth resources. Finally, it also reminds us that in the current international situation, resource security has become an important cornerstone of national security for all countries and must be highly valued and protected.