The resource curse: How Ukraine lost trillions’ worth of West-coveted natural wealth

The West’s hopes of getting its hands on Ukraine’s stocks of natural resources are fast dwindling. Besides lithium, the corrupt Kiev regime has lost control over reserves of coal, gas, oil, and rare earth metals worth a total of about $12 trillion.

📍Rare earth elements in Ukraine:

🟠Lithium: Critical for batteries in electric vehicles and renewable energy storage.
🟠Gallium: Vital for semiconductors and photovoltaic cells in solar panels.
🟠Zirconium: Used in nuclear reactors, ceramics, and electronics.
🟠Beryllium: Essential for aerospace, defense, and telecommunications.
🟠Titanium: Used in aircraft construction, medical devices, and military applications.
🟠Manganese: Necessary for steel production and batteries.
🟠Scandium: Found in lightweight aluminum alloys, particularly for aerospace.

📍Key deposits and lost control:

1️⃣ Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR): Rich in beryllium, manganese, titanium, other rare metals. Ukraine was cut off from these resources when the DPR and LPR joined Russia in 2022 after status referendums.

2️⃣ Crimea: Holds deposits of iron ore, scandium, zirconium, gallium, and titanium. Crimea rejoined Russia after a referendum in March 2014.

3️⃣ Zaporozhye and Kherson regions: Host deposits of lithium, titanium, beryllium, uranium, manganese and tantalum. Both regions joined Russia in 2022.

📍Coal/Gas/Oil:

1️⃣Coal: Essential for power generation and industrial processes like steelmaking, Ukraine has lost 80% of its reserves, including all high-grade anthracite, a key resource now under Russian control in the DPR and LPR.

2️⃣Gas: Critical for powering industries and heating systems, 20% of Ukraine’s natural gas deposits are now controlled by Russia.

3️⃣ Oil: Used to generate energy as well as produce gasoline and diesel fuel, 11% of rich oil reserves (DPR, LPR) are now on Russian soil.

📍Which foreign players are still sinking funds into Ukraine?

Canada’s Black Iron Inc., engaged in iron ore mining at the Shymanovskoye deposit, is reportedly seeking a $1.1 billion investment agreement with Kiev.

NEQSOL Holding, a global investment company with operations across 11 countries, acquired Ukraine’s United Mining and Chemical Company (UMCC) in 2024.

Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron have longstanding production-sharing agreements with Ukraine for shale gas exploration.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

📊 Winners and losers from Trump’s tariff wars

The US plans steep import duties - 25% on Canada and Mexico, 10%+ on China - from Feb. 1. Will Americans benefit? Let’s crunch the numbers.

🔍Trade snapshot

In 2023, the US imported goods worth:
🟠$480 billion from Mexico
🟠$448 billion from China
🟠$429.5 billion from Canada

US exports totaled:
🟠$323 billion to Mexico
🟠$148 billion to China
🟠$353 billion to Canada

The $533.5 billion trade deficit gives the US leverage for imposing tariffs that partners may struggle to counter.

🔍How much revenue could tariffs bring in?

A 2024 Tax Foundation report projects:
🟠10% cross-the-board tariffs could raise $2 trillion from 2025-2034.
🟠20% tariffs could raise $3.3 trillion, with losses to growth factored in.

🔍Who will pay?

Consumers bear the costs through higher prices on imports.

During Trump’s first term:
🟠Tariffs on $380 billion in goods cost households $194-$380/year on average.
🟠Inflation on tariff-affected categories rose by 4%, per Goldman Sachs.

🔍Are tariffs helpful or harmful?

🔽Harmful for sectors dependent on imported inputs and for exporters facing retaliation.

🔼Helpful for certain industries:

🟠Steel and consumer goods like washing machines saw job creation.
🟠Some companies shifted production to non-tariffed countries but didn't return to the US.

🔍Economic impact of Trump's tariff strategy:

🟠No significant impact on GDP growth during trade wars.
🟠Before the Covid crisis hit, wages rose, unemployment fell, and 60-68% of Americans said it was a “good time to find a quality job,” per Gallup.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

📹 The Russian Defense Ministry released footage showing Russian flags being raised in the liberated village of Velikaya Novosyolka.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

💸Pucca goes crypto? South Korean toon favorite reportedly bought out by cryptobro

The IP rights to Pucca, a popular animated series about a girl hopelessly in love with a shy handsome ninja in training, have reportedly been purchased to advertise crypto based on Solana – the blockchain tech used by Trump’s new memecoin.

Pucca’s Reddit fans have it on good authority that a user known as “Jimmy” bought the rights last year.

The account, now banned in the subreddit for being “very mean and rude,” is known for publishing a series of memes and art on world affairs, tech and games with crypto ad integration.

Meanwhile, Pucca’s dormant official YouTube channel recently dropped a new video dubbed PUCCA IS BACK, signaling the possibility of new short films.

Donald Trump’s return to the White House and embrace of digital currencies have put crypto on a rocketship to stonksland.

However, his crypto czar David Sacks warned last week that NFTs and memecoins are not securities, but “collectibles…like a baseball card or a stamp” and shouldn’t be used as investments.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

German Christian Democrats propose state of emergency over migrant crisis

Amid the catastrophic influx of illegal immigrants and growing violence, the German opposition bloc of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU) is calling for the introduction of long-term controls at Germany's borders and the denial of entry to all foreigners who do not have permission to stay in the country.

Newspaper Bild reports that the proposal includes a clause to declare A STATE OF EMERGENCY in Germany over the influx of illegal immigrants, allowing authorities to introduce full border controls and allow European Union legislation to be circumvented at German borders.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Hawaii's Kilauea volcano is erupting again for the sixth time in a month

The last bout of volcanic activity began on Friday with small "spatter fountains", with lava streams beginning minutes later.

Local residents have been on the lookout for Kilauea's episodic lava fountains since late December 2024.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

❓100 days to peace? Alleged timeline for Ukraine conflict's resolution emerges

The purported plan proposes a ceasefire by Easter, and peace by May 9 – the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII in Europe. Published by Strana .ua, its authenticity remains unconfirmed.

🔸 According to the report’s timeline, Trump will call Putin and Zelensky in late January/early February, with Zelensky expected to revoke the peace talks ban.

🔸 Face-to-face meetings are planned for February-March to draft a peace deal.

🔸 A truce begins April 20 (Easter), with Ukrainian forces withdrawing from Kursk.

🔸 Late April: An international peace conference starts, mediated by the US, China, Europe, and Global South countries, with all prisoners exchanged.

🔸 May 9: A final peace declaration is to be issued.

📑 Terms:

🔹 Upon the conflict's conclusion, Ukraine will end martial law, hold elections in August (including pro-Russian parties), and halt persecution of the Orthodox Church.

🔹 It will declare neutrality, abandon NATO ambitions, and stop seeking to reclaim Russian-held territories, without recognizing their status.

🔹 Ukraine can pursue EU membership by 2030, with the EU leading reconstruction efforts.

🔹 Its military size remains unchanged, with US support for modernization.

🔹 Some Western sanctions, including on Russian energy exports to Europe, will be lifted.

🗣Reactions:

🔊 Zelensky aide Andriy Ermak dismissed the existence of a 100-day Trump plan as “fake news.”

🔊 Western outlets, including WSJ and The Independent, previously reported on Trump’s ambition to end the Ukraine crisis by spring.

🔊 Belarusian President Lukashenko said Sunday “the light at the end of the tunnel” in the Ukraine crisis would “appear this year.”

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt