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Resetting US-Russia ties: A deal of treachery and theft
The manner in which US President Donald Trump has aligned himself with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the nearly three-year-old Russia-Ukraine war has left security analysts, foreign affairs experts, and international observers baffled. However, the real motive behind this move can be summed up in just two words—treachery and theft.
At first, it appeared that Trump was genuinely invested in bringing an end to the war. But subsequent developments have revealed that his approach is driven by a desire to extract a “pound of Ukrainian flesh”—namely, control over Ukraine’s vast rare earth mineral deposits. At the same time, he seems eager to claim the Nobel Peace Prize.
Trump’s Push for Putin’s Rehabilitation
Trump’s strategy has made it clear that he is determined to offer Putin a dignified return to the global stage, even at the cost of alienating America’s European and NATO allies. In just a few days, the US has effectively brought Russia back in from the cold, forging an uncomfortably close relationship while sidelining Europe and the rest of the world.
This shift has also reshaped Russia’s anti-West narrative. While Trump’s initial steps toward his Ukraine deal sparked mixed reactions in Moscow, they also led to a surprising development—Russian media, which had long demonized the West, began extensively citing Western sources.
Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan, senior fellows at the Centre for European Policy Analysis, noted in an article for Politico that Russian society, after years of being told to reject the “treacherous, decadent West” and align with China and North Korea, suddenly found its most influential daily, Kommersant, running a headline declaring “Putin’s Triumph.”
This shift serves Putin’s desire to be recognized as a major global leader. The emerging narrative presents him as an equal partner to Trump, while Europe and Ukraine are pushed to the margins.
The Shocking US-Russia Deal
What has shocked observers even more is that Trump’s supposed “peace plan” is, in reality, a blatant exploitation of Ukraine’s vulnerability. Reports from CNN suggest that in an extraordinary move, Trump has attempted to claim half of Ukraine’s rare earth mineral wealth—an act of economic imperialism against an already war-ravaged nation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy swiftly rejected the so-called deal.
CNN’s Stephen Collinson argues that Trump seems to lack any real understanding of Ukraine’s historical complexities, much like his simplistic view of the Middle East, where he has suggested relocating Palestinians from Gaza to make way for beach resorts. Collinson further asserts that Trump’s tendency to view geopolitical crises as real estate deals suggests he might accept an agreement allowing Putin to keep the land he has stolen—simply to secure an end to the war.
A rushed peace deal that strengthens Russia while weakening European security by legitimizing Putin’s territorial expansion could very well lay the groundwork for a future conflict.
Trump’s “Transactional” Foreign Policy
The contrast with past US leadership is stark. At the end of the Cold War, President George H.W. Bush carefully managed the Soviet Union’s collapse in a way that prioritized the West’s long-term security. Trump, on the other hand, has shown no similar strategic vision for Europe’s future.
Despite this, European leaders appeared unprepared for Trump’s actions. Their failure to anticipate his moves resulted in a humiliating scramble to Paris for emergency talks last week, as they sought to formulate a response after being shut out of negotiations.
Trump’s intentions became even clearer when US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent visited Kyiv and presented Zelenskyy with an audacious demand—half of Ukraine’s mineral wealth, along with control over its oil, gas, and critical infrastructure, including ports. This $500 billion claim was framed as “payback” for past US military aid to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy, however, firmly refused to sign the agreement, pointing out that the US had provided $69.2 billion in military aid—far less than the sum Trump was demanding. He also noted that other allies, including the EU, Canada, and the UK, might be interested in investing in Ukraine’s resources.
Meanwhile, US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz has been aggressively portraying Trump as a global peacemaker. “He’s going to end the war in Europe. He is going to end the wars in the Middle East. He is going to reinvest the United States’ leadership in our hemisphere, from the Arctic to Panama,” he declared.
He went further, predicting, “By the end of this all, we’re going to have the Nobel Peace Prize sitting next to the name of Donald J. Trump.”
However, Fortune magazine has drawn disturbing historical comparisons between Trump’s proposal and the Treaty of Versailles, which imposed crushing reparations on Germany after World War I. Historians widely agree that these reparations fueled German resentment, contributing to the rise of the Nazi Party and World War II.
The Real Agenda: Economic and Strategic Dominance
A deeper analysis suggests that Trump’s primary objective is not peace, but economic and strategic dominance. By demanding a major share of Ukraine’s mineral wealth, he aims to secure control over rare earth minerals—resources currently dominated by China.
In essence, Trump is less concerned about sidelining Europe or boosting Putin’s global standing. His real interest lies in leveraging Ukraine’s resources to maintain US hegemony in critical industries such as defense and space technology. At the same time, he hopes to bolster his legacy with a Nobel Peace Prize—a move that, if it succeeds, will likely dominate future headlines.