😵‍💫🚫🇺🇦🪨🤝💸🇺🇸 — 📰 ZeroHedge | "We Will Not Allow It": Zelensky Rejects New Mineral Draft That Would Recognize US Support As Loans | March 28, 2025:

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a Friday press conference that he won't recognize past US military aid as loans, after Washington sent a new draft of the minerals deal to Kiev.

"Ukraine received a new agreement project from the U.S. regarding mineral resources, which is an entirely different document from the previous framework agreement," said Zelensky, adding "Ukraine will not recognize U.S. military aid as debt."

"We are grateful for the support, but this is not a credit, and we will not allow it," Zelensky continued.

🗄 Archive

🔗 Full:

🇺🇸🇪🇺🇺🇦❌🇷🇺 Basically: chaos!

🇺🇸/🇾🇪 Unclassified Report — Inside America’s 14-day ongoing strike campaign against the Houthi

At least 158 precision air and naval strikes targeting Houthi infrastructure & leadership.

My most detailed brief ever and an unprecedented look at U.S. strike operations in Yemen:

🧵 https://fxtwitter.com/ianellisjones/status/1905749402251415861

🇵🇪 An Indigenous community in Peru has built one of the largest informal copper mines in the world. Annual revenue: $300 million

It’s not entirely legal, yet its copper flows to top commodity traders.

https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2025-copper-conflict-peru-indigenous-mining/

https://archive.ph/aPAA4

🇺🇸🇨🇳🇵🇦 China Halts Panama Port Sale to BlackRock

Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison, led by tycoon Li Ka-shing, will not sign a deal next week to sell its two strategic ports at the Panama Canal to a BlackRock-led group, the South China Morning Post reported on Friday.

The deal was expected to be signed on April 2, according to the sale announcement made on March 4.
It is understood the situation does not mean the deal has been called off, the South China Morning Post added, citing the source.

CK Hutchison and BlackRock did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Chinese authorities have reacted negatively to plans by the conglomerate, while the deal was hailed by U.S. President Donald Trump who wants to retake control of the strategic waterway.

https://gcaptain.com/china-halts-panama-port-sale-to-blackrock/

📈 The modern day gold rush:

Gold prices are now up +70% in 16 months with a new record market cap of $20.75 trillion.

In fact, gold is worth $1.25 trillion MORE than the COMBINED value of the remaining top 10 most valuable assets.

What is gold telling us?

(a thread)

https://fxtwitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1906117296919019630

🇸🇸 The world’s youngest country fought for decades to govern itself. Now it’s on the cusp of another civil war

A peace deal ending a conflict that killed tens of thousands in South Sudan is in danger of collapsing, raising fears that the world’s youngest nation — and one of its poorest — could swiftly lapse back into war.

South Sudan split from the rest of Sudan in 2011 after decades of pro-independence unrest but has struggled to keep the peace in its territory, which is divided along ethnic lines.

What’s the current crisis about?

The nation is governed by a coalition government, led by President Salva Kiir and five vice presidents, who include Kiir’s rival Riek Machar, the leader of the SPLM/A-IO party.

Machar was arrested this week, prompting the SPLM/A-IO to issue a statement Thursday saying his detention “effectively brings the (peace) agreement (between him and Kiir) to a collapse.”

“The prospect for peace and stability in South Sudan has now been put into serious jeopardy,” it added.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/29/africa/sudan-peace-deal-cusp-civil-war-intl/index.html

💸 Paper Promises, Golden Truths

The dollar will remain an important player for some time to come. But the era of the petrodollar system, where the dollar was the only way to buy oil, is over.

We are entering a new multi-polar era where countries use their own currencies to buy oil and other goods. And the U.S. is no longer the sole superpower.

Central banks around the world are gobbling up gold and diversifying away from the dollar as debt spirals out of control.

We’re approaching the end game now. This is why we’ve been pounding the table on gold and silver so much lately. And it’s why we will continue to going forward.

https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/paper-promises-golden-truths

🇪🇨🇺🇸 Ecuador is preparing for US forces, plans show, as Noboa calls for help battling gangs

Ecuador is laying the groundwork for US forces to arrive, according to plans obtained by CNN – as its president calls on US President Donald Trump to help battle powerful gangs in a country once known as the “island of peace.”

According to a high-level Ecuadorian official familiar with the planning, construction of a new naval facility in the coastal city of Manta is part of that preparation, with barracks-style housing and administration offices designed to support sustained operations and US military personnel. The official requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

“The expectation is that these will be eventually occupied by US troops,” the official told CNN.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has made no secret of his desire for foreign boots on the ground as gangs unleash terror across the country – a request he is expected to reiterate this weekend. Noboa is set to meet Trump in Florida on Saturday to discuss immigration, trade and “security cooperation.”

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/29/americas/ecuador-trump-noboa-gang-intl-latam/index.html

🇺🇸🚢📝 Sal Mercogliano: Remember when US shipyards actually built ships!

The US made the decision to end the symbiotic relationship between the US Navy and the US Merchant Marine.

Instead, they outsourced US commercial shipping and shifted naval construction into private yards like HII and GDNASSCO.

Even now, with calls for reform, we default back to putting naval officers in charge of US maritime reform.

🔗 mercoglianos

🇪🇺💶 "Where will the EU source the funds to re-build its defense base?" - Macro & geopolitical commentators

"Because that's where the money is." -Bank robber Willie Sutton, when asked why he robbed banks.

Where the money is:

🔗 Luke Gromen