Thread by @clarenafo

The Telegraph has got its hands on a copy of the contract that the US tried to make Zelenskyy sign last week. Here are the terms that were proposed. They amounted to US economic colonisation of Ukraine. ⬇️

The draft contract between the US and Ukraine outlines terms that are highly disadvantageous to Ukraine. It essentially grants the US substantial control over Ukraine's critical resources, including minerals, oil, gas, ports, and other infrastructure. The main points include:

1. **Joint Investment Fund**: The US and Ukraine would form a fund to prevent hostile parties from benefiting from Ukraine's reconstruction. This fund would have extensive control over Ukraine's resources.

2. **Revenue Sharing**: The US would take 50% of recurring revenues from resource extraction and 50% of the financial value of all new licenses issued to third parties. There would be a lien on these revenues favouring the US, prioritising US claims over Ukraine's needs.

3. **Right of First Refusal**: For future licenses, the US would have the right of first refusal for purchasing exportable minerals, giving the US a significant advantage in controlling these resources.

4. **Exclusive Control**: The joint investment fund would have exclusive rights to establish terms, conditions, and criteria for all future licenses and projects, effectively granting the US near-total control over Ukraine's resource economy.

5. **Legal Governance**: The agreement would be governed by New York law, further tilting the balance of power in favour of the US.

These proposed terms imply a long-term economic burden on Ukraine, likened to reparations typically imposed on defeated aggressor states.

The proposed deal would put Ukraine in a position where it must prioritise payments to the US over its own domestic needs. This would hamper Ukraine's economic recovery and sovereignty, effectively making it economically dependent on the US.

The terms are exploitative and coercive, treating Ukraine more like a subjugated state than an ally, and placing a heavy burden on the country already struggling with the effects of russia's illegal war of aggression.

Link here: archive.ph/A8pkj