Donald Trump is seeking US control over all of Ukraine’s rare minerals and energy assets – including oil and gas – in a major expansion on his previous demands.

The proposed deal, which has been seen and compared to holding a gun to Volodymyr Zelensky‘s head by The Daily Telegraph, would ramp up Ukraine’s dependence on the US.

The US would receive all royalties until Ukraine has paid off at least $100bn of war debt, with 4% interest and hand Kyiv just 50% thereafter.

Alan Riley, an expert on energy law at the Atlantic Council, says “there are no guarantees, no defence clauses, the US puts up nothing”.

Prof Riley adds: “The Americans can walk away, the Ukrainians can’t. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

On top of this America would gain unprecedented control to veto exports of Ukrainian energy and rare minerals, potentially starving China of a future import opportunity, but potentially also Europe.

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