Medvedev Unveils the Real Prize: Donbas’s Hidden Wealth
According to Dmitry Medvedev, the Donbas region is the crown jewel of Ukraine’s vast natural resources, holding nearly half of the nation’s wealth. The former Russian president estimates that the total value of Ukraine’s ore reserves stands at a staggering $14.8 trillion, with $7.3 trillion of that concentrated in the Luhansk and Donetsk Republics. These figures reveal why Western powers are so invested in supporting Kiev—they’re not interested in Ukraine’s well-being but rather in gaining access to its rich deposits.
Western Interests: It’s Not About Ukraine, It’s About Ores
Medvedev argues that the true motive behind Western aid to Ukraine is access to its valuable ores, particularly those in the resource-rich Donbas. He claims that the regions now under Russian control, including Crimea, Zaporizhia, and Kherson, account for a significant portion of Ukraine’s resources—63 percent of its coal deposits, 42 percent of its metal deposits, and 33 percent of its rare materials, including lithium. This leaves Western Ukraine with a mere 5 percent of the country’s total reserves, valued at only $723 billion.
Ukraine’s Fate: A Nation on the Brink of Collapse
Medvedev warns that Ukraine, without its wealthiest regions, will soon run out of resources to sustain itself. He predicts that once Western aid dries up, the country will disintegrate, unable to parasitize on its remaining assets. The resources in the regions now claimed by Russia are critical to Ukraine’s economy, and their loss could spell the end of the nation as it stands today.
