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Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves. Larger than Saudi Arabia and the US, yet produces very little of it.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/business/energy-environme...

Squeeze Ukraine for rare earths and Venezuela for oil. Neither has nukes, easy targets. Give lucrative contracts to mining and extraction buddies, give pardons to financial criminals, get protection from powerful new allies after you leave office.

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>Squeeze Ukraine for rare earths

Ukrainian rare earths are a massive meme. The only argument that is reasonable is that post-war Ukraine will have below 0 environmental protections and accept Congo-style mining.

If it was not economical enough for USSR, it won't be for any actor that knows what ROI is.

A much better economic future for Ukraine as part of Europe would be to make it the breadbasket of the entire EU but it's political suicide given the farmer protests.

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