The recent Zelensky-Trump-Vance meeting wasn’t just a diplomatic snub—it was a planned humiliation. Ukraine came seeking security guarantees in a critical materials deal and got nothing but a cold, transactional shrug. Another hard lesson in Trumpism. And let’s not forget, the man behind the desk now has two “big red buttons”—one is not for Diet Coke.
This brings me to last week’s Futurium event, where UNIDO hosted a panel on critical materials. South Africa’s ambassador to Germany, Phumelele Stone Sizani, and Dr. Melanie Müller (who also teaches at Hertie) didn’t sugarcoat it: Europe can’t win the global resource scramble by racing to the bottom on wages, regulations, or ethics. But that doesn’t mean it has to lose.
Ambassador Sizani made it clear—South Africa doesn’t want to be bullied by supposed moral superiority into unfair deals but it does want reliable, long-term partners. Dr. Müller followed up: if the EU doesn’t step up now, an unreliable Washington will leave the playing field wide open for short-term, transactional dealmaking disregarding the most basic human values.
The fear-spreading about the “end of rule-based democracy” only holds if the EU keeps doing gut gemeint (well-intended) policies instead of gut gemacht (well-executed) regulation. The EU needs a smarter strategy—one that doesn’t choke businesses but still ensures Europe is more than just another buyer in the resource rush.
Here’s what that looks like:
- Smarter regulation—Not overburdening companies, but making Europe an attractive, stable, and sustainable partner.
- United action—Fragmentation is the EU’s biggest weakness (looking at you, Hungary!); coordination is its best defense.
- Long-term partnerships—Adding value to resource-rich countries instead of just extracting.
The EU can’t win by playing China’s game. But if it plays its own game right, it doesn’t have to.
Leon is a Berlin local, passionate about digital politics, tech diplomacy and political education for youth!
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