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Europe
United Kingdom
11 March 2025 It’s not just Trump. The UK views critical minerals as a government priority and wants to open up Ukraine’s vast resources to British corporations. When UK officials signed a 100 year partnership with Ukraine in mid-January, they claimed to be Ukraine’s 'preferred partner' in developing the country’s 'critical minerals strategy'. Yet within a month, Trump had presented a proposal to Zelensky to access the country’s vast mineral resources as 'compensation' for US support to Ukraine in the war against Russia. Whitehall was none too pleased about Washington muscling in. When foreign secretary Lammy met Zelensky in Kyiv last month he reportedly raised the issue of minerals, 'a sign that Starmer’s government is still keen to get access to Ukraine’s riches', the iPaper reported. It’s no surprise why. Ukraine has around 20,000 mineral deposits covering 116 types of minerals such as beryllium, manganese, gallium, uranium, zirconium, rare earth metals, and nickel. The country also possesses one of the world’s largest reserves of graphite, the largest titanium reserves in Europe, and a third of the continent’s lithium deposits. These resources are key for industries such as military production, high tech, aerospace, and green energy. In recent years, the Ukrainian government has sought to attract foreign investment to develop its critical mineral resources and signed strategic partnerships and held investment fora to showcase its mining opportunities. The country has also begun auctioning exploration permits for minerals such as lithium, copper, cobalt and nickel, offering lucrative investment opportunities. Media narratives largely parrot the UK government’s interests in Ukraine being about standing up to aggression. But Whitehall has in the past few years stepped up its interest in accessing the world’s critical minerals, not least in Ukraine. Ghani, trade minister in Rishi Sunak’s government, held at least 10 meetings on the subject of critical minerals in 2023 and the first half of 2024, government transparency data shows. Among the companies she met were giant UK mining corporations Rio Tinto and Anglo American, and arms exporter BAE Systems and military aerospace lobbyists, ADS. It is not clear if Ukraine was the subject of these discussions but one other prominent firm Ghani met to discuss 'mineral supply chains' was Rothschilds, which has extensive interests in Ukraine. Ghani held a discussion with the Paris-headquartered global advisory firm in April 2023 while her successor Mak did so the following year in May. Mak met the firm 'to discuss Rothschild’s critical minerals work', the data shows. The corporation was invited to the 2023 Ukraine Recovery Conference held in London and is a member of the UK-Ukraine Finance Partnership. It has also been the main adviser to the Ukrainian Ministry of Finance since 2017. Rothschilds, on whose board sits former UK national security adviser Lord Sedwill, has no less than $53bn invested in Ukraine. Writing recently in Unherd, researcher Lee quotes a senior Labour figure saying the UK was involved in extensive negotiations for the whole of last year relating to securing exclusive access to Ukraine’s minerals, but that adequate government support was not forthcoming. Some other meetings have crept into the public domain. Last April, two prominent UK parliamentarians met one of Ukraine’s largest mining investment companies in London to discuss 'British-Ukrainian partnership in the field of critical minerals mining'. BGV Group, which has investments of $100m in Ukrainian mining projects, held discussions with then energy minister Lord Callanan and Seely, then a Conservative MP who sat on parliament’s foreign affairs committee. The company is seeking investors for its graphite and beryllium projects and said in a media release that 'Ukraine has all the prerequisites to become one of Britain’s main suppliers of critical minerals crucial for advanced technologies and the green energy transition'. 'As Ukraine’s ultimate European ally, the UK could leverage its strong position within NATO to help secure mining sites and transportation routes', writes Dovbenko, the founder of UK-Ukraine TechExchange. The UK government’s ‘Ukraine Business Guide’ notes that 'Ukraine has vast resources' and 'a rich mineral base of iron ore, manganese, coal, and titanium'. Certainly, enhancing access to critical minerals has been a broad priority across Whitehall over the last three years. The UK produced its first-ever Critical Minerals Strategy in 2022 and updated this with a ‘refresh’ the following year. It identifies 18 minerals with'“high criticality' for the UK, including several present in Ukraine, such as graphite, lithium and rare earth elements. The UK’s strategy aims, among other things, to 'support UK companies to participate overseas' in supply chains for these minerals and 'champion London as the world’s capital of responsible finance for critical minerals'. As part of its critical minerals strategy, the government set up a so-called Task & Finish group, analysing the risks to UK industry, and including participants from BAE, Rio Tinto and ADS. The group highlights titanium, rare earth elements, cobalt and gallium as among the minerals with a supply risk to the UK military sector. The UK has also launched a Critical Mineral Intelligence Centre and established a Critical Minerals Expert Committee to advise the government. A report by the foreign affairs committee on critical minerals published in December 2023 concluded that 'the UK cannot afford to leave itself vulnerable on supply chains that are of such strategic importance'. A sign of how seriously the government is taking the issues is that it says it will 'ensure consideration for critical minerals is embedded' in the free trade agreements it is negotiating with a range of countries. Accessing minerals overseas often depends on loosening government regulations to enable foreign corporations to strike favourable deals. The 100 year partnership declaration commits the UK and Ukraine to 'supporting development of a Ukrainian critical minerals strategy and necessary regulatory structures required to support the maximisation of benefits from Ukraine’s natural resources, through the possible establishment of a Joint Working Group'. The thrust of the partnership is to 'support a more enabling environment for private sector participation in the clean energy transition' and to 'attract investments of British companies in the development of renewable energy sources.' More generally, the two sides will 'work together to boost and modernise Ukraine’s economy by progressing reforms that aim to attract private finance' and 'boost investor confidence'. As Declassified recently showed, British aid to Ukraine is focused on promoting these pro-private sector reforms and on pressing the government in Kyiv to open up its economy to foreign investors. Foreign Office documents on its flagship aid project in Ukraine, which supports privatisation, note that the war provides 'opportunities' for Ukraine delivering on 'some hugely important reforms'. The UK supports a project called SOERA (State-owned enterprises reform activity in Ukraine), which is funded by USAID with the UK Foreign Office as a junior partner. SOERA works to 'advance privatization of selected SOEs [state-owned enterprises], and develop a strategic management model for SOEs remaining in state ownership.' UK documents note the programme has already 'prepared the groundwork' for privatisation, a key plank of which is to change Ukraine’s legislation. 'SOERA worked hand-in-hand with GoU and proposed 25 pieces of legislation of which 13 were adopted and implemented', the most recent documents note. Much UK foreign policy and wars can be explained by Whitehall wanting British corporations to get their hands on other countries’ resources. The 2003 invasion of Iraq was mainly about oil while decades earlier the UK’s brutal war in Malaya in the 1950s was substantially about rubber. Britain’s support for apartheid South Africa is significantly explained by the UK wanting continued access to South Africa’s massive mineral resources. But the main concern now is China, which is the biggest producer of 12 out of the 18 minerals assessed by the UK as critical. The Ministry of Defence’s major geopolitical forecast, its ‘Global Strategic Trends’, released last year, makes 57 mentions of minerals, noting that they 'will become of increasing geopolitical importance' and could lead to 'new geostrategic rivalries and tensions'. History suggests that Whitehall’s international strategy on critical minerals, and its scramble for Ukraine’s, will continue to shape UK foreign policy and contribute to these future international tensions. (Source: Declassified UK)
by Curtis, the co-director of Declassified UK, and the author of five books and many articles on UK foreign policy.
Asia
Saudi Arabia
March 11, 2025 Diplomatic teams from Ukraine and the United States are holding talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, today in steps toward ending a full-scale war started by Russia in 2022. We're very open, and we want to have very constructive, friendly, partner conversation with our American partners, Yermak told reporters in Jeddah. He did, however, add that security guarantees are very important. /Photo/ (Source: NPR – U.S.)
Tuesday 11 March 2025 The US and Ukraine are currently locked in crunch talks in Saudi Arabia to try and find a way to end Russia’s invasion. One of the proposals that Ukrainian officials brought to the talks in the port city of Jeddah was a truce in the air and sea that would halt such attacks. The meeting has begun very constructively, Yermak, Mr Zelensky’s chief of staff who is leading the Ukrainian delegation, wrote on Telegram. Ahead of the talks, Mr Yermak said Ukraine stands ready to do everything to achieve peace and security guarantees remained key for Ukraine. US national security adviser Waltz, who is part of the Washington delegation, said during the afternoon that the negotiations with Ukraine were getting there – with the talks stretching beyond six hours. The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, who is leading the delegation from Washington, said he would not be proposing any specific measures to secure an end to the conflict but rather wanted to hear from Ukraine about what it would be willing to consider. “I’m not going to set any conditions on what they have to or need to do,” Mr Rubio said. “I think we want to listen to see how far they’re willing to go and then compare that to what the Russians want and see how far apart we truly are.” Putin has not publicly offered any concessions. (Source: Independent - United Kingdom)
Tuesday 11 March 2025 “The most important thing that we have to leave here with is a strong sense that Ukraine is prepared to do difficult things, like the Russians are going to have to do difficult things, to end this conflict or at least pause it in some way, shape or form,” US Secretary of State Rubio has said ahead of high-level peace talks in Saudi Arabia. “I think both sides need to come to an understanding that there’s no military solution to this situation.” “It has been a costly and bloody war for the Ukrainians. They have suffered greatly and their people have suffered greatly, Mr Rubio acknowledged. “It’s hard in the aftermath of something like that to even talk about concessions, but that's the only way this is going to end and prevent more suffering.” (Source: Independent – United Kingdom)
March 11, 2025 American and Ukrainian officials will meet in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for major talks today with the goal of charting a course toward ending Russia's three-year-old war. "The most important thing that we have to leave here with is a strong sense that Ukraine is prepared to do difficult things," Secretary of State Rubio - who will lead the U.S. delegation - said yesterday ahead of the talks. The U.S. delegation include Rubio, national security adviser Waltz and Middle East envoy Witkoff. Ukraine's negotiating group will include Yermak -- the head of Zelenskyy's office - Foreign Ministry Sybiha, Defense Minister Umerov, and Deputy Chief of Staff Palisa. Yesterday, Zelenskyy - who will not take part in today's talks -- traveled to Saudi Arabia to meet with crown prince and de facto ruler Salman and said he hopes for practical outcomes, from the U.S.-Ukraine meeting. Trump's administration is pushing Kyiv to make concessions in pursuit of a peace deal to end Russia's invasion. The White House also wants Ukraine to sign off on a minerals sharing agreement Trump has framed as a way to recoup tens of billions of U.S. aid sent to Ukraine since 2022. Rubio said finalizing the mineral deal with Ukraine was "an important topic, but it's not the main topic on the agenda." "There's still more details to work out." Rubio said the Russians "are going to have to do difficult things" too, though Trump and his top officials have not said what concessions Moscow may be asked to make. (Source: ABC News - U.S.)
North America
United States
March 11, 2025 On March 3, Trump paused material military aid to Ukraine, and two days later, the U.S. stopped sharing intelligence with Ukrainians. The United States says Ukraine has agreed to its proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia. The decision on intelligence has been reversed following Ukraine’s agreement with the ceasefire proposal. 'France and the United Kingdom have emerged as Ukraine’s biggest backers in Europe. 'Both countries have been among Ukraine’s most vocal supporters over the last few years. ’The renewed support from the EU and the U.K. may allow Ukraine to continue fighting’. ’From Ukraine’s perspective, it needs a new partner in its war against Russia, and the EU can serve that purpose’. „The U.S. may be the country pushing for a ceasefire in Ukraine, but it’s Europe that will play the most vital role in Ukraine’s ability to win the war if it endures’. (Source: The Conversation, a network of media outlets online, with European editors in France, Spain and the UK. Headquarters Melbourne, Victoria, Australia)
by Horncastle, Assistant Professor, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada)
Global
11 March 2025 'Across Europe, arms imports soared by 155 per cent between 2020–24 compared to the previous five-year period. Ukraine’s imports were increasing nearly 100 times over compared with 2015-19, according to the report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published on March 10. Ukraine accounted for 8.8 per cent of global arms imports and at least 35 states supplied weapons to the country, with the US leading at 45 per cent of its imports, followed by Germany (12 per cent) and Poland (11 per cent). The US dominated global arms exports, accounting for 43 per cent of total sales, followed by France at 9.6 per cent. Europe has become more dependent on US weapons. According to the report the US has accounted for 64 per cent of European NATO states’ arms purchases over the past five years, up from 52 per cent between 2015 and 2019. European NATO members more than doubled their arms imports compared to the previous five-year period. Almost 500 combat aircraft and other weapons were still on order from the US despite efforts to bolster Europe’s own arms industry. France saw its arms exports to Europe grow by 187 per cent, driven by combat aircraft deliveries to Greece and Croatia, although India took the largest share (28 per cent). The US supplied 107 countries, with Europe overtaking the Middle East (35 per cent compared to 33 per cent) as the top destination for US arms for the first time in two decades. Saudi Arabia remained the largest single recipient, taking 12 per cent of US exports. Some major arms importers, including Saudi Arabia, India, and China, experienced significant declines in import volumes for various reasons, despite high threat perceptions in their regions, said George, SIPRI programme director. Asia and Oceania, despite a 21 per cent drop in imports, remained the largest arms-importing region at 33 per cent of global transfers, with India as the second-biggest importer worldwide. China’s imports fell 64 per cent, reflecting its growing domestic arms production. It was the fourth-largest exporter of arms in 2020–24, with 5.9 per cent of global arms exports. Despite China’s efforts to increase its arms exports, many large importers do not buy Chinese arms for political reasons. Arms imports in West Africa almost doubled (+82 per cent) between 2010-14 and 2020-24. Arms suppliers are using arms exports to boost their influence in this part of the world, including emerging suppliers - primarily Turkey - alongside more established actors such as China, France, Russia and the USA. Nigeria was by far the largest importer, accounting for 34 per cent of West Africa’s total arms imports during this period. While the volume of imports remains relatively small, it has important geopolitical implications. States like Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal seem to be rapidly increasing their imports. Russia supplied 33 nations. It’s exports fell by 64 per cent, citing battlefield needs, sanctions and pressure from the US and allies. Receiving two-thirds of its exports, Russia supplied India (38 per cent), China (17 per cent) and Kazakhstan (11 per cent). (Source: Brussels Signal - Belgium)
by Deconinck
1 March 2025 Morons writing half-wit stories - journalism now corrupted by leftie activists. Moronification: the educational process that turns promising, intelligent, and semi-sentient young people into fully-functional halfwits. The collapse of editorial standards in the Anglophone media has been through a steady process over the decades, and its main engine has been the capture of journalism-schools by left-wing activists. An almost natural process by which lefty-journalists, usually not being very good at their job and attracted by the amazing holidays and generous salaries offered by colleges and universities, have steadily colonised media-studies courses. This process has normalised the insertion of a left-wing terminology in mainstream media. ’Far right’ is now routinely used – even by “conservative” media – to describe any political movement that wishes to protect the ethnic national identity of any western society or intends to control inward immigration. As the heart-breaking, bloody crisis in Ukraine continues, its mysteries are deepened by the appalling terminological imprecision with which it is covered. Let us hope we are in the final stages of a truly evil war, the terrible truths about which probably remain very secret, and are likely to remain so for a very long time. That the EU was guilty, by smugness, turpitude, laziness and cowardice, for allowing the developing crisis to become a military and moral catastrophe is indisputable. The criminal responsibility of various US governments under Obama and Biden for this monstrosity is similarly irrefutable. The US was waxing hysterical over both the accidental manslaughter of the serial criminal Floyd and the utterly cruel delusions of transgenderism, the latter being as morally wicked and scientifically-deranged as the witch-trials across Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. Why would Putin not think a war against Ukraine yield quick results? Could he not see how cultural moronification had made the West, especially the US, quite incapable of opposing him? For if our media are bad, and they really are, Europe’s political classes, who have shaped the ladies and gentlemen of the reporting classes around their own selfish, short-sighted priorities, are even worse as another potentially catastrophic horror-story is unfolding in Romania. This too has been characterised by lazy or tendentious and invariably moronified journalism. The EU-supported cancellation of Romania’s elections last December is a truly scandalous departure from the self-proclaimed values of the European Union. Neither term - far-right and pro-Putin- even if accurate, would implicitly justify Georgescu’s exclusion from the democratic process, It is surely a searing indictment of both the EU and its leadership that this crisis had so deepened that Vice President Vance recently felt authorised to speak out about it. To put it all in terms of the 1930s, Ukraine, Romania and Taiwan might well be (if only roughly) the equivalent of Manchuria, Abyssinia and the Anschluss. But at least in those days, democracies were protected by large armies and the political and cultural acceptance of the need for conscription. Poor befuddled Generation Z stand between the West and a global disaster like Emperor Selassie’s light cavalry against Mussolini’s mustard gas, aircraft and tanks. May God now help them, because ’we’ catastrophically failed to do so. (Source: Brussels Signal - Belgium)
by Myers, an Irish journalist, author and broadcaster. He has reported on the wars in Northern Ireland throughout the 1970s, Beirut and Bosnia.
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