In December 1940, then president of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt He explained what his plan was to borrow and lease war supplies and equipment under siege in Britain. It was like offering a neighbour the usage of a garden hose to extinguish the home fire. You would not tell your neighbour “my snake cost me 15 dollars (57 zł); you gotta pay me 15 dollars for it.”
The only thing you'd ask is to return the snake after the flames are out.
Of course, not if you are U.S. president Donald Trump, who would undoubtedly exploit the minute of his neighbor's top danger as golden business opportunity, keeping the snake until he receives repeatedly more than what he paid for it — with cash in advance.
And if you feel that this is unfair — or is an example of Trump’s syndrome — just take a closer look mineral agreement, which the U.S. chief con artist tries to impose on Ukraine at the minute of its existential threat.
The agreement of the century would mean that the United States would receive a refund of much more than 120 billion dollars (PLN 463 billion), which according to the calculations of the Kilonian Institute, the German think tank, The Americans actually spent to aid Kiev from January 2022 to December 2024.
Inequal Treaty
According to the latest version of the agreement, the United States would receive half of revenue generated by Ukrainian oil, gas and hydrocarbons, as well as almost all metals, critical minerals and "other mining materials". The United States would besides benefit from any infrastructure related to natural resources, including roads, railways, pipelines, ports, terminals and refineries. The list of infrastructure facilities is very long.
The United States would not be satisfied with this and would receive all royalties and profits from natural resources until Ukraine had repaid at least 100 billion dollars (386 billion PLN) of war debt to the US, with 4% interest added as it was repaid. Ukraine would then yet receive half of the profits and royalties generated by its own natural resources, but God knows erstwhile this would happen — debt specified in the contract, fortunately little than 350 billion dollars (PLN 1.3 trillion), about which Trump mistakenly speaks, corresponds to 56 percent of the country's GDP. And that's before the interest.
Plus, the deal goes on forever.
Thus, it yet does not act as a "lend-lease", but alternatively as unequal treaties of imperial Western powers forced upon China in the 19th century.
Allies or opponents?
First of them, Nanki Treaty, ended the first opium war between Britain and the Qing dynasty in 1842. It required China to pay massive compensation, to cede Hong Kong Island to the British as a crown colony and to open up to abroad trade on British terms, with London deciding on customs rates.
This treaty then set a model for a series of unilateral agreements which China demanded the Western powers to sign, leading to expropriation, widespread plunder and erosion of sovereignty. These are the conditions that to any degree explain Beijing's current geopolitical sentiments and determination to undermine the Western order.
Of course, the main difference between the unequal treaties and Trump's mineral agreement is that they were imposed on the opponent after military victories — not on the alleged Ally.
Ukrainians regret the thought of paying "reparations" to the US. It is crucial to remember that what Trump wants is not truly a "war reparations" — payments to make good the harm caused by the defeated aggressor. The president of the United States acts alternatively as a war speculator, amorally exploiting the moment.
Interest of the 2 parties
According to ‘lend-lease’, lending a snake to a neighbour is besides in your own interest — the fire may besides spread to your house, so it is best to put it out. Eventually, the US Congress-approved regulations gave Roosevelt extended powers to “sale, transfer title ownership, exchange, lease, lending or another disposal” objects of another countries in the interest of U.S. national security.
At the highest of the Lend-lease programmes 38 countries have helped supply and equipment worth about 50 billion dollars — the equivalent of nearly 700 billion dollars (2.7 trillion PLN) today, given the inflation. The UK received part of the funds from the lionand yet only about $8 billion were actually paid, most of which came from the British and France. Moreover, while the intact equipment was to be returned in accordance with the terms of the contract, there was actually little. Instead, what was left was sold to allies at reduced prices. There was no overpriced.
SHAWN THEW / PAPDonald Trump, 28 March 2025.
In addition to helping to defeat Nazi Germany, Italy Benito Mussolini and imperial Japan The United States besides received another measurable benefits from the agreements. The reversed "lend-lease" and reciprocal deliveries included Mosquito reconnaissance aircraft and spark plugs for the flying B-17 fortresses from the UK, oil products from India, food for soldiers in the South Pacific from Australia and fresh Zealand, and Joseph Stalin supplied the United States with chromium, manganese ore, platinum, gold, and wood.
All of this, however, took place on a smaller scale compared to what the allies received from the US, but that was not the point.
Disgusted Order
Many years later, in 2022, the erstwhile president Joe Biden citing Roosevelt's program, signing the Ukrainian Democracy defence Lend-Lease Act to supply Ukraine military, economical and humanitarian assistance to defend against Russia.
Trump, however, does not see his own interest in helping allies. Instead, he repeats that the United States is safe thanks to the "big, beautiful ocean". Roosevelt, however, did not believe it. In a December 1940 radio broadcast in which he presented the thought of America as a "great arsenal of democracy", he warned that the country could not stand aside. "Some of us like to believe that even if Britain falls, we will inactive be safe due to the wide space of the Atlantic and Pacific," he said. He warned that modern technology had already effectively reduced the distance between these oceans.
Roosevelt's "lend-lease" agreements provided for repayment not in the form of money or returned equipment, but alternatively required "common action aimed at creating a liberalized global economical order in the post-war world".
It's evidently not something that would work for Trump. The current president wants to destruct the order that Roosevelt laid the foundation for.
