The 'Plunder Doctrine' Comes to Ukraine

Extorting Ukraine to extract concessions from their government is treacherous and wrong, but it is exactly what we should expect from a crude imperialist like Trump.

Trump is bringing his plunder doctrine to Ukraine:

The Trump administration is stepping up its push for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to hand mineral rights worth hundreds of billions of dollars to the U.S., after Zelensky’s initial rejection of the demand fueled President Trump’s escalating broadsides against Ukraine’s leader.

Extorting Ukraine to extract concessions from their government is treacherous and wrong, but it is exactly what we should expect from a crude imperialist like Trump. The U.S. is essentially demanding capitulations from Ukraine as the old colonial empires did when they wished to take control of the resources of weaker states. This is consistent with Trump’s obsession with seizing from other states whatever he thinks the U.S. is owed. “Take the minerals” is the new “take the oil.” This is being dressed up as “investment” in Ukraine’s economy, but it is simply naked exploitation of a smaller country at war.