The US was among the nations that gave Ukraine "assurances" in the 1990s, guaranteeing its sovereignty and territorial integrity in exchange for surrendering the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal. After Russia’s 2014 invasion, Washington offered minimal military aid, mostly issuing political condemnations. Since 2022, as Russia launched its full-scale invasion, the US has become Ukraine’s largest arms provider. Now, Trump seeks Ukrainian resources in return for continued aid. Ukraine possesses approximately 5% of global mineral resources, including significant deposits of titanium, uranium, iron, manganese, lithium, and rare earth minerals.
Trump told Fox News that Ukraine's valuable natural resources should serve as security for US aid.
"They have tremendously valuable land in terms of rare earth [minerals], in terms of oil and gas, in terms of other things. I want to have our money secured, because we're spending hundreds of billions of dollars [in Ukraine]," Trump said.Trump emphasized that access to these resources should be guaranteed regardless of the outcome of peace negotiations with Russia, citing America's alleged contribution of "more than $300 billion" as significantly larger than other nations' support. Ukrainian Response Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed openness to such arrangements.
"If we are talking about a deal, then let's do a deal, we are only for it," Zelenskyy recently told Reuters, highlighting the resource-rich Dnipro region in central Ukraine.In the Reuters interview, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, however, emphasized that Ukraine seeks a partnership with the United States rather than surrendering control of its mineral deposits. Trump expressed optimism about peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, stating "I think it's going to happen." A US delegation led by Vice President JD Vance and Trump's special envoy, retired Lt-Gen Keith Kellogg, is scheduled to meet with Zelenskyy at the Munich Security Conference in Germany this weekend to discuss ending the nearly three-year-long all-out war. Related:
- Reuters: US plans to urge European allies to purchase more US arms for Ukraine
- Trump envoy delays US peace plan for Ukraine to consult with NATO allies
- Vice President JD Vance to meet with President Zelenskyy in Germany this week
- Trump’s envoy on Ukraine and Russia, Kellogg, to visit Kyiv next week
- Trump says he talked to Putin, who allegedly “does care” about battlefield casualties
- Zelenskyy urges US allies to shield Ukraine’s trillion-dollar titanium, uranium resources
- Expert: Here’s how Ukraine could capitalize on its rare earth materials
- Reuters: Ukraine offers mineral partnership to US, not just “giving away” deposits
- Trump wants Ukraine’s rare earth minerals in exchange for continued aid