Illustration: Liu Rui/GT
As the instigator behind the Russia-Ukraine conflict,
mk the so-called "aid" from the US to Ukraine is nothing more than a carefully designed game of interest exchange. US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz talked about the future of Washington's economic support for Ukraine in a recent interview, during which he claimed, "We need to recoup those costs, and that is going to be a partnership with the Ukrainians in terms of their rare earth, their natural resources, and their oil and gas and also buying ours." According to a Reuters report on Tuesday, the US also plans to push European allies to buy more American weapons for Ukraine ahead of potential peace talks with Moscow.
From "non-refundable aid" to "resource swaps," and from "shared responsibility" to "Europe footing the bill," the US strategy to aid Ukraine lays bare its hypocrisy and undoubtedly reaffirms the ironclad rule of "no free lunch" on its diplomatic menu.
The US' demand that Ukraine offer rare earth minerals as a form of payment for financial support in the Ukraine-Russia conflict starkly embodies its "America First" policy. This idea is not new. US Senator Lindsey Graham bluntly stated last year that the US stands to financially gain from Ukraine's vast agricultural sector and "two to seven trillion dollars' worth" of rare earth minerals. "This war is about money. People don't talk much about it. But you know, the richest country in all of Europe for rare earth minerals is Ukraine," Graham declared.
Noticeably, the current US aid strategy toward Ukraine has sparked dissatisfaction among its European allies. According to Politico Europe, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz sharply criticized the US proposal to tie future military aid for Ukraine to access to its rare earth resources, calling the move "very egotistic, very self-centered."
Behind Scholz's criticism lies a harsh reality: Washington is forcing Europe to continuously "bleed" for America's geopolitical ambitions. Reuters reported that two sources revealed the US government's plan to push European allies to buy more weapons for Ukraine is "one of several ideas the administration is discussing to potentially continue US weapons shipments to Kiev without expending significant US capital." For a long time, Europe, under US' encouragement, has been providing massive aid to Ukraine. Washington may compensate for its military aid to Ukraine by extracting mineral riches from its soil, while Europe will have to pay dearly for supporting Kiev, as Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council pointed out.
The model of "America sets the rules, Europe foots the bill" has long been evident. According to a report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the American Enterprise Institute, at least 70 percent of the so-called "Ukraine assistance" ends up being spent in the US or on US forces. EU member states have provided $94.2 billion in financial and military assistance to Ukraine, yet have only "reaped" inflation, rising energy and food prices, and growing public discontent.
A look back at history reveals that the US has never walked away empty-handed from the wars and conflicts it has initiated or intervened in. Today, the US has openly put a price tag on its bargaining chips and has completely exposed the hypocrisy behind its support for Ukraine a so-called "free international order."
Whether it is the US' proposal to exchange military aid for rare earths or repeated statements by US lawmakers that "war is about money," the US "aid" plan fully exposes its selfish and hypocritical nature. The US has not made any contributions to resolving the Russia-Ukraine war; instead, it has exploited the situation for its own benefits. Ukraine's rare earth resources and the Europe's arms orders have all become targets for US exploitation.
