Why Putin offers rare earth metals to United States: Analyst's opinion
Photo: Russia has started trading rare earth metals with the United States (GettyImages)
Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation, noted that Russia's Vladimir Putin started the war against Ukraine with the hope of a quick victory. According to him, this led to a major geopolitical defeat for Russia.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine Ukraine hoping for a lightning victory that would strengthen Russia's position as the leader of the multipolar world. However, his plan did not work out. Instead of consolidating Russia's influence in the international arena, the war was a major defeat that changed the geopolitical landscape.
As Andrii Kovalenko noted, after the failure of the so-called special military operation, Russia became even more dependent on China. Now China is dictating its terms, and this is exactly what Zbigniew Brzezinski warned about in his 1997 book The Grand Chessboard.
He warned the West against the possibility of an alliance between Russia and Iran, which would lead to an increase in the influence of these countries on world politics. However, today Russia's relations with China and Iran cannot be called a full-fledged alliance.
Ukraine has survived and strengthened its army: Strategic context
Unlike Russia, Ukraine has survived, preserving its independence and continuing to fight. Today, Ukraine has one of the strongest armies in the world, making it an important player in the international arena.
According to Kovalenko, Russia will sooner or later pay for this war with its own resources. Having lost the ability to wage a long-term confrontation without serious strategic losses, it can no longer compensate for the damage. The seizure of Ukrainian territories will not be legally recognized, and sooner or later Ukraine will regain control of its lands.
Noting the changes in the geopolitical context, Kovalenko also noted that Russia, instead of becoming a bridge between China and the West, has become a battleground between the two powers.
He emphasized that Putin's statements about rare earth metals for the United States are proof that Russia is no longer an independent player, but has become an economically dependent territory that is actively used by stronger countries.
In the end, Russia will sell off its national wealth, as it has already spent all its other resources on the war. This will be its legacy - a country that has gone bankrupt and lost its strategic importance in the international arena.
Vladimir Putin has declared Russia's readiness to cooperate with the United States in the extraction of rare earth metals, in particular from deposits located in the occupied territories of Ukraine, which he characterized as so-called new regions. He made these comments during a press conference on February 24, Russian media reported.
On Monday evening, February 24, Vladimir Putin held a meeting on the development of the rare earth metals industry in Russia.
Putin emphasized that these metals are critical for microelectronics, energy, the digital economy, as well as for the civilian and defense sectors of Russia. He believes that the development of this industry will help strengthen Russia's economy.
In addition, Putin ordered to increase in the potential of the Russian industry in the production of new materials. In particular, he emphasized the need to create a full cycle of the rare earths industry - from mining and processing to the production of high-tech goods with high added value.
