Charlton Allen
For years, American foreign aid has followed a simple, unquestioned rule: the United States gives, and a motley assortment of allies and opportunistic nation-states take. Aside from vague diplomatic assurances, billions in taxpayer dollars flow overseas with little expectation of return. Nowhere has this been more evident than in Ukraine.
The Biden White House poured billions upon billions into military, economic, and humanitarian aid without securing tangible benefits for American industry or security. Yet despite this massive commitment, there is little clarity on how much has actually reached Ukraine—or how effectively it has been used.
President Donald Trump has shattered this framework. Instead of continuing the blank-check approach, he has tied future U.S. support for Ukraine to something concrete: access to Ukraine’s untapped reserves of rare earth elements and its vast known deposits of other critical minerals—resources vital to national defense, high-tech industries, and the foundation of modern American life.
This isn’t just a policy shift on Ukraine—it indicates a fundamental rethinking of how America engages with allies and strategic partners. For President Trump, U.S. foreign and economic policy are intertwined, and both must serve American interests first and foremost. American assistance to an ally or would-be ally is not a right; it must be earned and reciprocal.
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