Access to vital minerals is a common thread throughout the regions on President Trump’s wish list for expanding the United States’ borders and striking deals.
Russia has been opposing the president’s recent suggestions of a “deal” with Ukraine exchanging minerals for help. Greenland is a Danish region rich in minerals, and he has often stated that the United States will seize it, even if it means using force. Also, Trump has expressed interest in Canadian resources, which Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau noted as reason to take seriously his suggestion that Canada may join the United States as the 51st state.
“It’s beginning to resemble a foreign policy that is focused on resources… “China has been doing it for decades,” said Gracelin Baskaran, head of the Critical Minerals Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “Our foreign strategy is beginning to include minerals in a more prominent way.”
The processing of vital minerals like as cobalt, lithium, and nickel, as well as rare earth elements used to manufacture energy and military equipment, is controlled by China, a problem that Trump is the latest president to tackle. The United States is trying to weaken China’s grip on supply chains, but it has lagged behind initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative, which China launched to help poor nations get access to resources.
However, American businesses have voiced concerns that they are unable to compete due to China’s unfair market practices, such as the country’s glut of low-priced goods.
Furthermore, Trump’s “America First” initiative isn’t happening by itself. Elon Musk, his tech adviser and a billionaire with links to China through Tesla, adds another layer of complexity to the situation. For instance, electric car battery component graphite is imported from China, and Tesla has pushed in the past several months to get tariffs increased on this commodity.
The economics program fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Thibault Denamiel, has stated that Trump’s actions are clearly intended as a “negotiating tactic” and that his administration is keen on prioritizing energy in international relations. Denamiel, however, warned against interpreting every word that Trump says.
He made the observation that most White House officials do not take the president’s request that Canada be admitted as the “51st state” seriously as a policy proposal.
Regarding Ukraine, Denamiel said that a significant portion of the rare earth elements found there are in areas already under Russian control. Therefore, proposing a “aid-for-minerals” arrangement would be more strategic than relying on short-term gains for American resource acquisition capabilities.
The president restated his stance in a Monday interview with Fox News, stating that the United States should receive a portion of the $500 billion in natural resources owned by Ukraine as recompense for the billions spent assisting the country in defending itself from Russia’s invasion.
The speaker emphasized that the Trump administration saw the help to Ukraine as more of a transactional affair, which Denamiel deemed as the most significant realization. “Gaining access to Ukraine’s resources is more important than safeguarding the country’s national security.”
“Wars for resources”
According to John Lenczowski, who is the founder, president emeritus, and chancellor of the Institute of World Politics, an independent graduate school of national security, the president’s recent burst of activity is a reaction to China’s long-standing strategy of hoarding resources in order to prevent the West from obtaining materials required to manufacture military and defense equipment.
His opinion was that it was highly indicative of his style and that it caused significant disruption. “I believe the United States benefits greatly from his unpredictable behavior, and this only serves to strengthen that.”
He sees “incredible parallels” between the current fight and the Cold War, and Lenczowski thinks Trump should be praised for focusing on essential minerals, which are a crucial aspect of the “resource war” that is still going on.
“Resource warfare is a component of economic warfare, which is part of a global strategy. It is closely tied to [China’s] military buildup, Belt and Road strategy, and their efforts to gain a market dominance in commodities like cobalt, lithium, and rare earths,” explained Lenczowski.
Even while Trump has promised to boost domestic mining through a series of executive orders, his too optimistic international strategy has alienated long-standing U.S. friends, including those that are rich in minerals.
A new conflict arose when Trump threatened to cut off South African funding. In response to Trump and Musk’s criticism, South African officials have called on other African nations to halt the sale of cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements to the United States. This is in anticipation of Trump’s threat to actually withdraw aid.
Members of the House China Select Committee, who are from both parties, have been trying to come up with a legislative package to fight China’s domination for over two years, but Trump’s approach is also causing divisions on Capitol Hill. Democrats on the committee like Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts have expressed concern with Trump’s alliance with Musk, who has financial ties to Beijing.
Nevertheless, during a Tuesday event in Washington, Chair John Moolenaar (R-Michigan) brushed off concerns about party differences and stated that his committee, in conjunction with the White House, is prepared to confront China.
Moolenaar told attendees at the event hosted by the Institute of World Politics that he was planning to have dinner with senators Tuesday who are interested in policies to counter China.
It’s true, I’ve never met Elon Musk,” Moolenaar said. I must mention that Senator [and Secretary of State] Marco Rubio is an outstanding choice for these positions in the White House. [John Ratcliffe, director of the CIA]: Excellent. [Mike Waltz, national security adviser] In these areas, I have great faith in the president’s staff because they are well aware of the danger posed by China.
