Summary
Donald Trump seeks near-total control over Ukraine’s critical minerals, energy assets, and infrastructure in a new draft deal, significantly expanding his previous demands.
The proposal, sent to Kyiv, includes no security guarantees for Ukraine, sparking concerns about sovereignty and dependence on the US.
Energy law experts called the terms unprecedented, noting the US could withdraw without obligation. Trump also suggested US control of Ukraine’s nuclear plants.
Critics warn Russia may exploit Trump’s urgency for a quick deal, complicating peace efforts and post-war stability.
Ukraine should declare that they’re withdrawing from the Lisbon Protocol, and will start working towards creation/procurement of nuclear weapons. Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belaruse agreed to give up their nuclear weapons, in exchange for guarantees on their border security, secured by the US and Russia. Since Russia has reneged, and the US appears to be doing the same, maybe Ukraine could bolster the “cards in their hand” by looking towards rearming. While I hate the idea of another nuclear power, Ukraine was the #3 nuclear power, between separation from the USSR and the 1992 Lisbon Protocol. Maybe their next strategic move should be to fail, like the US and Russia have.
I understand Russian concerns - Gorbachev was told, when the Berlin Wall came down, that NATO would not expand towards the Russian Border. That promise was not ratified by NATO, but was a part of the decision making process, as it was a Russian concern. NATO has expanded 12 times since then, towards the Russian Border. As mad as they might be, the answer is not to simply take back lands they gave up.
The same goes for the US. A few decades passing by, is no excuse to simply decide to not honor obligations previously entered into.
But, if everybody is just changing their minds, and simply “doing whatever we want” is on the table, I’m sure, since Ukraine supplied much of the Cold War hardware and expertise to the USSR, that manufacturing and knowledge base is still there, at least to some degree.
They probably wouldn’t have to do it…mentioning the interest as a strategic consideration could be the kick in the ass needed, to help the Lisbon Protocol participants to remember their roles in the guarantees made, on the condition of giving up those nukes.
NATO did not expand. in geopolitics, expanding means invading like russia using guns and bombs, expanding into ukraine.
NATO just accepts more members through pen and paper it is based on membership.
Well, Russia didn’t want NATO members, and what can come with NATO membership at their borders, much like how we didn’t want Soviet missiles in Cuba, in 1962. They certainly viewed their former Soviet states and bloc countries joining NATO, as an expansion of NATO.
Regardless of what looked like who, and who thought what, Russia invaded Ukraine, and they shouldn’t have.