Former US Treasury Secretary Summers Criticizes Ukraine Mineral Agreement as "Like the Treaty of Versailles"

"Victims of Aggression Should Not Be Forced to Compensate with Their Assets"

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers criticized the Trump administration's pressure on Ukraine to sign a mineral agreement, calling it "like the Treaty of Versailles."

On the 24th (local time), in an interview with Bloomberg Television, Summers said, "I haven't seen all the details, but what the Trump administration is proposing looks like the Treaty of Versailles imposed not on the aggressor but on the victim of aggression."

Lawrence Summers, former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.

The Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919 after World War I, imposed astronomical war reparations on Germany by the Allied powers, including the United Kingdom, France, and the United States. Some argue that the enormous reparations, which did not consider Germany's ability to pay, fueled German public anger toward the Allies and led to the rise of Adolf Hitler.

The Trump administration is demanding that Ukraine sign a mineral agreement worth $500 billion as a condition for U.S. military and financial support. According to foreign media reports, the draft agreement includes provisions that Ukraine would transfer half of the income generated not only from natural resources but also from infrastructure such as ports to the United States.

On the same day, Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister, stated that negotiations to provide mineral resources to the United States are in their final stages. President Trump announced that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would visit the United States this week or next week to finalize the mineral agreement.

Former Secretary Summers compared the mineral agreement to the Marshall Plan, through which the United States supported the reconstruction of Western Europe after World War II. He explained, "After World War II, the United States provided crucial funding that enabled the reconstruction of Western Europe," calling it a key factor in America's success during the Cold War. He added, "If U.S. policy is to blame the victim of aggression and then demand their few remaining assets as compensation for what we have done to them, that goes beyond the Treaty of Versailles."

However, he acknowledged, "I now understand that pragmatism is necessary. I am not someone who believes the United States can support all of Ukraine's aspirations or desires," expressing support for efforts to end the war that began with Russia's invasion.

On the same day, the United States voted against a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine three years ago. At the UN Security Council, the U.S. submitted and passed a resolution that omitted holding Russia accountable for the invasion of Ukraine.

President Trump claimed on the social media platform Truth Social that negotiations with Ukraine would help recover the hundreds of billions of dollars and military equipment sent to Ukraine by the American people, while also aiding Ukraine's economic growth. He also stated that economic dealings with Russia would be part of ending the war.

The previous day, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bezent wrote in a Financial Times op-ed on the 21st that the mineral agreement "focuses on promoting national economic growth" and "aligns the interests of the American people with those of the Ukrainian people."

Former Secretary Summers warned that the United States might repeat the mistake Britain made in 1938. At that time, Britain failed to confront Nazi Germany's territorial expansion, and Summers suggested that the U.S. has repeated the same mistake in its dealings with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He expressed concern, saying, "We are not just appeasing the aggressor but actively supporting them, and I worry about the future of a world where the United States takes this approach."

Additionally, regarding the Trump administration's plan to cut the defense budget by 8% annually over the next five years, Summers said it would weaken America's geopolitical influence and reduce foreign aid. He called it "a tremendous strategic gift to China," adding, "If China's actions become lighter, it relates to the idea that China could inherit the world order."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.