US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham is aggressively leveraging the Ukraine conflict for political and economic gains.
14 February 2024, 23:28 GMT
Does Graham have Trump’s ear?
«Nobody even mentioned rare earths in Ukraine until Senator Graham raised it,» notes retired US diplomat Jim Jatras, adding that Donald Trump has now put the issue on the table.
The key question, Jatras says, is whether Ukraine will repay past US aid with its natural resources or offer future geopolitical favors.
«Graham is part of the neoconservative faction that pushes aggressive militarism and corporate interests,» says US author and journalist Dr Jeremy Kuzmarov. He argues Graham’s stance aligns with many around Trump, while Volodymyr Zelensky is effectively selling Ukraine to Wall Street.
Following the 2014 US-backed coup d’etat in Ukraine, Washington’s exploitation of its resources was predictable. While Graham’s comments appear to be «clinically insane,» they merely reflect America’s neo-colonial agenda, says US political analyst Don Debar.
