🔁Mario Nawfal:
🇺🇦 FROM OIL TO LITHIUM: THE U.S FOREIGN POLICY OF WAR FOR RESOURCES
In 2003, Iraq held around 10% of the world’s proven oil reserves, roughly 112.5 billion barrels.
Oil was the undisputed king of global energy at the time, powering economies, industries, and militaries.
Fast forward 2 decades, and Ukraine finds itself at the heart of a new energy battle.
With 10% of the world’s lithium reserves and 20% of global graphite, Ukraine holds the key to the clean energy future.
Lithium and graphite are indispensable in making electric vehicle batteries, renewable energy storage systems, and modern electronics.
As the world transitions from fossil fuels to green energy, control of these critical materials is becoming as crucial as control over oil was in the early 2000s.
For the U.S., ensuring access to these resources is about more than just economics—it’s about maintaining global influence.
In Iraq, control over oil helped stabilize energy markets and ensured Western dominance in the fossil fuel economy.
In Ukraine, the stakes are no less significant.
Without sufficient lithium and graphite supplies, the U.S. risks falling behind China, which dominates the global battery supply chain.
The comparison goes deeper. In Iraq, U.S. intervention was framed as a necessity for global security.
In Ukraine, support for Kyiv is presented as a moral and strategic imperative against Russian aggression.
However, both cases share a geopolitical truth: access to critical resources drives alliances, interventions, and policy decisions.
Whether it’s “black gold” or “white gold,” the U.S. has a history of being present wherever strategic resources sit at just the right amount—not too vast to destabilize global markets but significant enough to control supply chains.
Sources: CFR, Renewable Matter, GeoTimes.
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...
🇺🇦 FROM OIL TO LITHIUM: THE U.S FOREIGN POLICY OF WAR FOR RESOURCES
In 2003, Iraq held around 10% of the world’s proven oil reserves, roughly 112.5 billion barrels.
Oil was the undisputed king of global energy at the time, powering economies, industries, and militaries.
Fast forward 2 decades, and Ukraine finds itself at the heart of a new energy battle.
With 10% of the world’s lithium reserves and 20% of global graphite, Ukraine holds the key to the clean energy future.
Lithium and graphite are indispensable in making electric vehicle batteries, renewable energy storage systems, and modern electronics.
As the world transitions from fossil fuels to green energy, control of these critical materials is becoming as crucial as control over oil was in the early 2000s.
For the U.S., ensuring access to these resources is about more than just economics—it’s about maintaining global influence.
In Iraq, control over oil helped stabilize energy markets and ensured Western dominance in the fossil fuel economy.
In Ukraine, the stakes are no less significant.
Without sufficient lithium and graphite supplies, the U.S. risks falling behind China, which dominates the global battery supply chain.
The comparison goes deeper. In Iraq, U.S. intervention was framed as a necessity for global security.
In Ukraine, support for Kyiv is presented as a moral and strategic imperative against Russian aggression.
However, both cases share a geopolitical truth: access to critical resources drives alliances, interventions, and policy decisions.
Whether it’s “black gold” or “white gold,” the U.S. has a history of being present wherever strategic resources sit at just the right amount—not too vast to destabilize global markets but significant enough to control supply chains.
Sources: CFR, Renewable Matter, GeoTimes.
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...
22 days ago
