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Rebuilding Ukraine for the Ukrainians and Gaza for the Gazans – As a Trump “Deal”?
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Ukraine
Many of us have seen videos of the Press Conference in the Oval Office, the spectacle Trump-Vance-Zelensky last Friday, 28 February 2025. Essentially, it appeared that President Trump was ready to make a deal with Zelensky, unelected President of Ukraine, for peace in the Ukraine-Russia war.
The deal consisted of Zelensky granting a concession to the US to mine rare earths (REEs) from Ukraine in part to pay back some of the US$ 350 billion which, according to President Trump, the US has given Ukraine in money and weapons to fight Russia, and in part for Donald Trump, i.e. the US, to negotiate with Vladimir Putin a lasting Peace for the two countries.
The figure of US$ 350 billion, according to more accurate accounting, is vastly exaggerated, the real figure is more likely around US$200 billion. Notwithstanding that about two-thirds of the military equipment never made it to the front, but was “lost” to the black market. In the current situation, this is rather immaterial. This was already reported a year ago by BBC and CNN.
Mr. Zelensky, before signing a concession agreement, wanted “securities”, whatever that means, from Mr. Trump because he doesn’t trust President Putin to stick to a peace agreement. With “security”, the Ukrainian dictator probably meant US troops along with EU troops in Ukraine to guarantee that President Putin does not break the ceasefire and/or Peace Agreement.
During the White House Oval Office Press Conference, hosted by President Trump with the attendance of JD Vance, Vice President; Marco Rubio, Secretary of State; and other US government officials, Zelensky was parading one lie after another about Mr. Putin and Russia. He pretended Putin had broken 25 ceasefire agreements since February 2014, though never was specific. Zelensky is either extremely stupid or he believes that Donald Trump and JD Vance do not know the history, how it got to the war, which would also be extremely stupid.
As Jens Stoltenberg, former Secretary-General of NATO, repeatedly said in the times before passing on the scepter to Mark Rutte, new NATO boss,
“This war started already in February 2014 with the Maidan Coup.”
Stoltenberg did not elaborate who instigated the Coup. It does not matter because it is well known that it was the West, the US with the assistance of Europe. Both Stoltenberg and Rutte are ‘graduates’ of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Academy for Young Global Leaders (YGL).
Let us not forget, the two German-French-sponsored Minsk Agreements [September 2014 and February 2015] were never meant to be implemented, as Madame Merkel, former German Chancellor, shockingly admitted in December 2022 (see this).
After Zelensky’s insistence on ”security” before signing any agreement, Mr. Vance berated Zelensky for being ungrateful, never having said “thank you” for all the moral and material support he has received from the US in the last three years; and Trump doubled-up, accusing Zelensky to be unwilling to make Peace, potentially provoking WWIII.
During the argument, President Trump added something to the extent,
“this is the best deal you could ever get. Normally, a mining company takes 90% and leaves you with 10%, or less. With me you get 50% and we, the United States, get 50%. That’s a fair deal.”
The spat ended up in an unfriendly shouting match which terminated the Press Conference and Zelensky’s stay at the White House rater abruptly, as he was asked to immediately leave the White House, and come back only once he was willing to make Peace. Trump’s final words with a smile were,
“This makes for great television.”
The rare earths deal was not signed. The truth is, a mining deal for Peace would not be ethical. President Trump knows that and would unlikely go down that rabbit hole. But Zelensky fell for the deal, hoping he could incite President Trump to defend his, Zelensky’s, side against President Putin. How wrong he was!
President Trump said in no uncertain words,
“I am the mediator, the Peace negotiator, I cannot take sides.”
Zelensky’s days are counted. He is an obstacle to Peace. But he is a puppet, supported by the falling-apart European Union (EU). According to Scott Ritter, Daniel Estulin and others, this unfriendly debate in the White House was staged, so that Zelensky’s character of undiplomatic lies and insults on President Putin, and on all those questioning his legitimacy, would be internationally exposed and the Ukrainian people and Parliament would ask for Zelensky’s resignation, or outright overthrow him. His popularity at home is below 10%. According to Trump, it is 4%.
The Ukrainian people want Peace not war. This to the detriment of a split Europe, parts of whom [Germany, for one and some Nordic countries], against all reason and common sense, are seeking to continue war with Russia, instead of cooperation with Russia, which is what their economy badly needs.
Trump is a deal-maker, according to himself,
“I make deals for a living, always did. I’m a businessman, and deals are what makes me successful.”
It is, however, unlikely that President Trump would gamble Peace for a REEs mining concession in the Ukraine. This would be beyond the ethics, even of Trump, the deal-maker. Especially since Putin told him on an earlier occasion that Russia is one of the richest countries in rare earths, and they would gladly sell REEs to the United States.
However, China has by far the most REEs, an estimated 44 million metric tons. The country was also the world’s leading REEs producer in 2024 by a long shot, producing 270,000 MT. See this.
“Rare earths” are 17 metallic elements, comprising the lanthanide series and (usually) scandium and yttrium. They are key ingredients for manufacturing of lights, magnets, batteries, chips, catalytic converters, and are used in everything from cell phones to cars and, foremost, for the arms and weapons [WAR] industries; not for nothing are they in such high demand.
Immediately after the White House fiasco, Zelensky flew to London, where the British PM Keir Starmer organized a European summit, basically to counter the Trump Peace initiative. However, that didn’t seem to be so easy since within the EU there is growing division about spending – or not – hundreds of billions of taxpayers’ money to support a war, killing ever more people. Also, the faltering European economies could use their money for economic recovery and development at home.
Therefore, Starmer announced to BBC that the UK, France and maybe one or two other EU countries [not mentioning war-mongering Germany], may together with Zelensky work on a Peace Plan for Ukraine, to eventually discuss it with President Trump. Starmer apparently hinted at the division within the EU, saying that he was seeking a “coalition of the willing”, rather than waiting for every individual country to come along.
If anything, Mr. Trump has apparently managed to bring a leading group of Europeans around to think and talk Peace rather than continue beating their war drums.
Gaza, Palestine
What about Peace in the Middle East?
Converting the current ceasefire into a lasting Peace, ending the atrocious, horrendous war – the genocide – by Israel against Palestine, especially Gaza – rebuilding Gaza and making Palestine a sovereign, fully independent nation, so that all the Palestinians that had left during the war, may return HOME, is an absolute priority.
Purely hypothetically, and thinking about President Trump’s “deal” skills, on this occasion they might even bring an ethical and fast solution. It could be a tripartite “deal”; Palestine, the US, and Russia, with each receiving about a third of the Gaza offshore gas proceeds. This would be a negotiated contractual settlement while all the gas would remain the property of Palestine.
The cost for reconstruction would be shared between the US and Palestine. The US being the co-aggressor with Israel, for largely funding the war and supplying most of the weaponry and war planes. There is no use to event try to have Israel help rebuild Gaza.
It can be safely estimated that Gaza’s offshore gas may be worth over a trillion US dollars. In an unequivocal no-nonsense manner, Donald Trump must keep his buddy, Netanyahu and Zionist Israel at bay. In 21st century-style, the MAGA President must and will be assertive: Israel has no right whatsoever to the Gaza gas. Thus, no intervention at all by Israel.
For those in the know – the world leaders, the WEF and those commanding it, as well as the UN – Israel, the real aggressor in this war, must immediately cease all aggressions against Gaza, Palestine, and her neighbors-at-large including Iran. Ambitions for Greater Israel must stop now. Lest all financial and military assistance from the US, Europe and potentially elsewhere will immediately cease, or being intercepted. This would bring about the immediate collapse of Israel, both economically and militarily.
In turn, Hamas would be dismantled. A new sub-government structure for Gaza, for example of a Provincial nature, within the Palestine Government would be negotiated.
Future economic and military aid to Israel would be in the form of interest-bearing loans; no longer grants.
Once the “deal-maker” has reached that stage, reconstruction can begin, paid for by Gaza’s offshore gas which would be extracted by Russian expert Gas Corporations and marketed jointly by Russia and the US. According to “France 24 – Business”, reconstruction of Gaza would cost between 50 and 100 billion US dollars, and take at least five years (optimistic estimate). See video below.
Reuters reports (5 February 2025) that the World Bank, UN, European Union Interim Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (IRDNA), predicts more than US$ 50 billion will be required to rebuild Gaza.
Reconstruction is estimated to take between five and ten years. During the first three years US$ 20 billion would be needed. See this.
These are preliminary and linear estimates. As we know, life is not linear, but dynamic. Hence, cost predictions might significantly vary during reconstruction work.
The division between Palestine and Israel would return to the pre-1967 borders. The result MUST be a two-state solution, with two sovereign nations of equal rights. The natural resources, including water, under, on and above the ground of the two states would respectively belong to the two independent countries.
To secure the borders and the Peace, UN troops in equal force and ranks from the United States, Russia, Europe, and China would be discreetly patrolling the borders for at least ten years, longer if deemed necessary.
As mentioned before, this is a highly hypothetical and speculative scenario. But all things being equal, and with Peace an absolute priority and number ONE objective, it is a theoretically possible solution.
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Peter Koenig is a geopolitical analyst and a former Senior Economist at the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO), where he worked for over 30 years around the world. He is the author of Implosion – An Economic Thriller about War, Environmental Destruction and Corporate Greed; and co-author of Cynthia McKinney’s book “When China Sneezes: From the Coronavirus Lockdown to the Global Politico-Economic Crisis” (Clarity Press – November 1, 2020).
Peter is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG). He is also a non-resident Senior Fellow of the Chongyang Institute of Renmin University, Beijing.
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