“After Munich, Russia declares Putin’s diplomatic success, and the USA is accused of colonialism [REPORT]”

The Munich Summit and planned peace talks regarding Ukraine are not currently going as the USA had hoped. President Volodymyr Zelensky, although initially agreeing to a deal with the White House for access to billions of dollars worth of rare mineral deposits located, among others, in the Donbas region, admitted to journalists at the Munich Summit that he had rejected most of Donald Trump’s peace proposals. Why?

Munich Summit a victory for Putin?

Many experts believe that the USA, in its proposals for a ceasefire in Ukraine, is more siding with the aggressor than the victim, while Kremlin-controlled media are even declaring Putin’s diplomatic success.

The pro-Kremlin channel NTV aired reports suggesting that after Trump’s conversation with Putin, Kyiv’s position had been undermined, European allies of Ukraine “were excluded, and the leaders of Russia and the United States would agree on everything between themselves.”

“After his conversation with the Russian leader, Trump called Kyiv. He spoke with Zelensky for about an hour, and afterward, Trump wrote that the conversation also went well. Importantly, Trump spoke with Zelensky after his conversation with Putin. Therefore, when the American president summed up this day of major telephone diplomacy at the White House, he was asked whether it seemed that Zelensky had been sidelined from the negotiations,” suggested NTV correspondent Oleksiy Veselovsky.

This is a visible change, as Russian media had previously been rather restrained in commenting on the American openness to negotiations with Russia, suspecting a trick by the Trump administration that would leave the Kremlin in an unfavorable position after any potential peace agreements or even before such an act.

Thus, despite the current enthusiasm of Russian state-controlled media, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are issuing cautious statements, downplaying possible pro-Russian shifts in Trump’s policy. At the same time, Putin publicly congratulated the US president, praising his character and seemingly downplaying the threat of further sanctions, but also reaffirming his readiness for dialogue.

Europe sidelined. Trump and Putin make the decisions

This situation is beginning to worry Europe, as it appears that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have decided to settle everything between themselves, completely bypassing all other parties: both Ukraine itself and the European Union. That’s why French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed convening a special summit on Ukraine, which would be held in Paris and aimed at developing a joint stance.

According to Reuters, citing four European diplomatic sources, an informal meeting could even take place today.

We learned about the preparation for such a summit on Saturday evening from statements made by Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski. He said that the French president “is calling European leaders to Paris.”

“President Trump has a method of working that the Russians call reconnaissance-in-force: you start acting and see what happens, then you adjust your position. And we [in Europe] must respond to this,” said the Polish minister, referring to the phone conversation between the US president and the Russian president.

The Élysée Palace has not yet issued an official statement regarding the summit, but some European leaders have already hinted that they may participate. One of them is British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He declared that this is a “unique moment crucial for national security” and that Europe must play a more active role in NATO. “The United Kingdom will work to maintain the unity of the US and Europe,” Starmer added.

After the European summit, Starmer plans to discuss its outcomes with Trump. Their meeting is expected to take place in Washington at the end of February. After his return from Washington, another summit with European leaders and Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to take place, according to BBC.

Ukraine’s lithium deposits to remain in the hands of future generations

Due to the uncertainties and unclear stance of the USA, President Zelensky has started to seek allies in Europe again. According to Trump’s announcements, it is Europe that would bear the burden of continuing to support Ukraine’s war efforts.

Moreover, according to the authorities in Kyiv, the USA is demanding a lot but offering little in return. Hence the negative attitude towards signing any economic agreements. Zelensky does not believe that even if he agreed to give the USA 50% of the revenues from lithium, graphite, uranium, or oil and gas mines, the Americans would actually keep their promise of security guarantees for his country and continue to supply the weapons necessary to defend against Russia.

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“The plan President Trump is offering us is not ready and does not protect our interests,” Volodymyr Zelensky commented during a conversation with journalists at the Munich Security Conference. “I don’t yet see any connection to security guarantees in this document. It is not in our interest today. It is not in the interest of a sovereign Ukraine.”

“I am only the president and manager of my country. After my term, there will be another manager. These resources are not mine. They belong to our people, and I intend to ensure that they remain in the hands of our children,” the President of Ukraine told journalists.

New Colonialism by the USA vs. Oligarchs

European diplomats argue that the US proposal reeks of colonialism, reminiscent of the era when Western countries exploited smaller or weaker nations, trading them and their resources on an industrial scale.

A Ukrainian official and energy expert, familiar with the proposal, told the BBC that it gives the United States the right to half of Ukraine’s revenue from resource extraction, as well as the right to sell new extraction licenses. Part of the money from the extraction would be invested in Ukraine’s reconstruction.

According to a list compiled by the Kyiv School of Economics, Ukraine possesses 109 significant mineral resource deposits, including titanium, lithium, and uranium ores, as well as oil and natural gas deposits. However, some of these are located in areas occupied by Russia or near the front lines.

Their value is uncertain. As the New York Times writes, apart from the risk of a second Russian invasion after a ceasefire, investments in these resources have been hindered for much of the post-independence period due to deeply ingrained issues in Ukraine’s business climate.

This includes secret regulations and insider trading conducted by Ukrainian oligarchs, businessmen, and politicians, which could limit any profits from this transaction. That’s why, even before the war, few investors participated in Ukraine’s mining deals.