US Demands from Ukraine Spark Concerns of Economic Colonization
The US has proposed conditions in a draft agreement with Ukraine that are more onerous than the reparations imposed on Germany after World War I and the post-war sanctions against Berlin and Tokyo, according to the British newspaper The Telegraph.
The US is seeking a 50% share of Ukraine’s oil and gas revenues, as well as a 50% cut of the profits from new licenses granted to third parties. This would make the US a significant portion of Ukraine’s GDP, surpassing the reparations imposed on Germany after World War I.
The Telegraph describes the conditions as “equivalent to economic colonization of Ukraine by the US on a legal basis.” The agreement would cover mineral resources, oil and gas reserves and infrastructure, including ports and other facilities.
In exchange, the US is offering to allow the stationing of US troops in Ukraine to ensure the security of the mining operations. The Telegraph reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had not expected the US to demand such harsh terms and is not willing to compromise on Ukraine’s interests.
The estimated value of the agreement is $500 billion, with the US having already provided Ukraine with $175 billion in aid, including $70 billion in weapons production in the US. The US claims Ukraine has received over $200 billion in aid, which Zelensky disputes.
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz believes the US deserves “a kind of compensation for the billions it has invested in this war.” Kremlin Spokesman Dmitri Peskov views the US demand as an attempt to help Ukraine “on a commercial basis” suggesting it would be better for the US to not provide aid and thus contribute to the conflict’s end.