Trump seeks $500 million deal with Zelensky on rare earth minerals and gas
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US President Donald Trump has stated that he is pursuing a $500 million agreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals and gas.
In return, Trump offers security guarantees as part of a potential peaceful resolution to Russia's war against Ukraine. He made this statement in an interview with The New York Post.
Meanwhile, President Zelensky has addressed the idea of providing US aid to Ukraine in exchange for rare earth resources. Speaking to Reuters, he stressed that Ukraine does not simply hand over its resources, even to strategic partners. Instead, he emphasized the importance of partnership and investment:
"We have minerals. That does not mean we are giving them away to anyone, even to strategic partners. This is about partnership—invest your money, invest in development. We need to grow this sector together and generate revenue. Most importantly, this ensures the security of the Western world and the European continent, preventing these resources from falling into the hands of thieves—Russia and its allies," Zelensky stated.
President Zelensky highlighted that Ukraine possesses the world's largest reserves of titanium and uranium, emphasizing their immense economic value.
"These resources are worth billions, even trillions. That's why we are engaging with the US, saying, 'Start a business here. Let's mine and process these resources together. Let's make money together.' We welcome investment from those who help defend our country because Putin's intentions are clear," Zelensky stated.
The President stressed that safeguarding Ukraine's natural resources is a matter of national security.
"These resources are part of our security guarantees, which is why protecting them is a priority," he said.
Zelensky also noted that Russian occupiers have taken control of less than 20% of Ukraine's mineral resources, but Ukraine urgently needs support to secure the rest.
"While about 20% of our land has been seized, the percentage of our mineral resources under Russian control is lower. However, the rest must be protected," he explained.
He emphasized the need to stop Russian aggression and defend Ukraine's remaining resources.
"We must stop Putin and safeguard what we still have. Unfortunately, we have lost our coal reserves, but I know that Russia has also suffered losses—they flooded many of the mines because they didn't know how to manage them," Zelensky added.
The President specifically pointed to Russia's exploitation of Ukrainian coal, noting that the occupiers have seized land with coal deposits Ukraine no longer possesses and are now shipping it to Transnistria to power their plants.
He also suggested that Trump could help drive Russia out of Donbas, potentially allowing the US to invest in mining operations there.
President Zelensky also underscored the strategic importance of Ukraine's resources for the United States.
"We have the largest titanium reserves in Europe, right here in Ukraine," he stated.
He further noted that Ukraine possesses significant deposits of gold, coal, and manganese ores and confirmed that a resource map had been provided to Trump's team.
"The United States needs these materials for advancements in aviation, the space industry, and medicine," Zelensky added.
