Aid and Exploitation: The U.S. and Ukraine’s Rare Minerals

News:

Access to Ukraine's rare earths may help keep U.S. aid flowing (https://www.npr.org)

Comment:

The ongoing tensions between the United States and Ukraine further reveal America’s hypocrisy. While the U.S. claims to champion democracy and sovereignty, it simultaneously seeks to exploit Ukraine for economic gain. This time, Ukraine is being pressured into surrendering half of its critical mineral wealth to American corporations in exchange for continued military and technological support—a clear form of economic blackmail against a nation struggling for survival.

Washington’s leverage over Elon Musk’s Starlink services is being used as a coercive tactic. Reports indicate that the U.S. threatened to cut Ukraine’s access to this vital communication network after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected a deal that would grant American firms a 50% stake in Ukraine’s lithium, titanium, graphite, and uranium.

Ukraine’s vast reserves of rare earth minerals, valued at $11.5 trillion, have placed it in the crosshairs of U.S. economic interests. With Washington eager to reduce its dependence on China for rare earth elements, securing Ukraine’s resources presents a strategic opportunity.

However, the ongoing war and instability pose significant barriers to extraction, making Kyiv cautious about signing any agreement without concrete security commitments. This situation highlights the exploitative nature of U.S. foreign policy, where economic interests trump alliances.

The U.S. has made it clear that Ukraine’s military capabilities could suffer if it does not comply. Starlink has played a crucial role in Ukraine’s battlefield communication, particularly in drone warfare. Past restrictions imposed by Musk have already demonstrated how vulnerable Ukraine is to U.S. technological control.

Now, further limitations could cripple Ukraine’s ability to coordinate its defenses, effectively forcing Kyiv to choose between military support and economic autonomy.

Our Ummah is well aware of this pattern of American exploitation. The U.S. has recently demonstrated, through its rhetoric surrounding Gaza, how U.S. aid is a tool for subjugation. Ukraine’s situation underscores this brutal reality: all must submit to Washington’s interests.

However, the U.S.'s behavior further exposes the fractures within the Western alliance, revealing how economic interests supersede ideological unity. This growing divide weakens the U.S.’s global influence and should serve as a reminder to the Ummah of the need for unity, self-reliance, and, most importantly, the global alternative found within the folds of Islam—the Khilafah, obligated by Allah (swt).

[وَتِلْكَ الأَمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ وَمَا يَعْقِلُهَا إِلاَّ الْعَالِمُونَ]

“These are the parables We set forth for humanity, but none will understand them except the people of knowledge.” [Quran 29:43]

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Haitham Ibn Thbait
Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in America