In a recent interview on Face the Nation, Graham confirmed what many have suspected about the real motivation behind the U.S.’s strong support for Ukraine: it’s not the lofty principle of freedom, but rather a significant economic interest in Ukraine’s enormous mineral resources, estimated to be worth $10 to $12 trillion.
“What did Trump do to get the weapon slowing? He created a loan system. They’re sitting on $10 to $12 trillion of critical minerals in Ukraine. They could be the richest country in all of Europe. I don’t want to give that money and those assets to Putin to share with China,” Graham said.
“If we help Ukraine now, they can become the best business partner we ever dreamed of, that $10 to $12 trillion of critical mineral assets could be used by Ukraine and the West, not given to Putin and China. This is a very big deal how Ukraine ends. Let’s help them win a war we can’t afford to lose. Let’s find a solution to this war. But they’re sitting on a gold mine to give Putin $10 or $12 trillion dollars of critical minerals that he will share with China is ridiculous.”