In just a few months after returning to the White House, Donald Trump has launched an aggressive strategy on three key fronts of international politics. His administration is pushing for nearly complete control of Ukrainian minerals, threatening Iran with bombing, and waging a relentless campaign against diversity and inclusion programs that extends to European companies.
Trump’s Plan to Control Ukrainian Wealth
The Trump administration has significantly tightened its original proposal for controlling Ukrainian minerals and energy. The new plan could threaten Ukrainian sovereignty and shift profits abroad without providing Kyiv with security guarantees.
Key conditions:
- Ukraine would have to contribute all revenues from natural resource use (both state and private) to a joint investment fund
- The US would gain preferential rights to purchase extracted resources
- The US would first recover all money provided to Ukraine since 2022 plus 4% annual interest before Ukraine could access the profits
- The joint investment fund would be governed by a five-member board (3 members appointed by the US, 2 by Ukraine)
- Generated funds would be converted to foreign currency and transferred abroad
- The fund would be managed by the US International Development Finance Corporation
The original proposal called for only 50% of future profits from state-owned resources. Trump claims the deal will help secure peace by giving the US a financial stake in Ukraine’s future.
Ukrainian President Zelensky stated that the US is “constantly” changing the terms but added that he doesn’t want Washington to think Kyiv opposes the deal. Senior presidential official Mykhailo Podolyak emphasized that negotiations are ongoing: “Consultations are taking place at the level of various ministries.”
Trump Threatens Iran with Bombing Ultimatum
The American president escalated pressure on Iran on Sunday with a clear threat: if Tehran doesn’t reach an agreement with Washington on its nuclear program, the US will resort to bombing.
“If they don’t make a deal, there’s going to be bombing. It’s going to be a bombing like they’ve never seen before,” Trump declared in a phone interview with NBC News. As an alternative, he also threatened to impose secondary tariffs that would affect buyers of Iranian goods.
However, Iran rejected direct negotiations with the US. “Direct negotiations have been rejected, but Iran has always participated in indirect negotiations,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, referring to the policy of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Trump indicated he would give the decision on tariffs “a few weeks.” “If we don’t see any progress, we’ll impose them,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One.
During his first term, Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and imposed extensive sanctions. Since then, Iran has significantly exceeded the agreed limits on uranium enrichment. While Western powers accuse Tehran of a secret nuclear weapons development program, Iran insists its nuclear program serves exclusively civilian purposes.
Trump’s War on DEI Extends to Europe
The Trump administration is expanding its campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs to European companies, placing firms with US interests in a difficult dilemma.
Government officials sent letters to companies in France and the EU that have US government contracts, requiring them to confirm they don’t operate any DEI programs that violate anti-discrimination laws. The Federal Communications Commission has also launched an investigation into DEI activities of media giant Walt Disney.
European companies are responding quickly:
- British pharmaceutical giant GSK suspended all diversity programs (the US government is its largest client)
- Swiss bank UBS canceled annual diversity targets and shifted emphasis to “meritocracy”
- Many companies are distancing themselves from the term DEI behind the scenes and using more neutral language
“Most of our management practices are inspired by America,” said Smaranda Boros, a management professor at Vlerick Business School in Brussels. Meanwhile, the European Commission remains an advocate for gender equality and has introduced a new strategy. “We felt this resistance coming from across the Atlantic, but we have this plan precisely to stay on the right side of progress,” said EU Commissioner Hadja Lahbib.
This development underscores growing tensions between the US and Europe, with the French Ministry of Finance expressing concerns, claiming that the values of the American government do not reflect the values of France.
While some organizations are retreating from DEI initiatives, others are resisting. “Some hesitated for years, but everyone recognizes that now is the time to act,” said Georgia Brooks, founder of the women’s club The Nine in Brussels, noting that corporate membership applications are growing.
