Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signaled on Friday that his government is open to negotiating an exchange of rare earth elements in return for continued U.S. military assistance. His statement aligns with recent comments from former President Donald Trump, who suggested that American aid to Ukraine should come with economic benefits.
“If we are talking about a deal, then let’s do a deal, we are only for it,” Zelensky told Reuters, emphasizing that Ukraine seeks a strategic partnership rather than simply giving up its resources. He acknowledged the substantial support the U.S. has provided and argued that American interests should be prioritized accordingly. “The Americans helped the most, and therefore the Americans should earn the most,” he said.
The Hill writes that the Ukrainian leader’s comments followed Trump mentioning that the United States should receive “rare earth” elements from the war-torn country in exchange for continued military assistance.
Rare earth elements are a group of materials that are deposited in relatively small quantities around the globe, making the economics of mining them complex. They are used in magnets and batteries, which in turn are used in sectors including health care, power generation, transportation and consumer electronics.
Zelensky’s openness to the deal is not necessarily a surprise, as Ukraine’s existing “Victory Plan” states that the country would work to supply its strategic partners with “natural resources and critical metals worth trillions of U.S. dollars” including uranium, titanium, lithium and graphite.
These metals are not considered rare earths, and it’s not clear whether they, too, would be part of any deal between the two nations.
Zelensky shared a map of Ukraine’s minerals with Reuters, and according to the news outlet, about half of a strip of land containing rare earths appeared to be on Russia’s side of the current battle lines.
Rare earth elements, though not commonly found in high concentrations, are essential to industries such as energy, electronics, and defense. While Ukraine’s Victory Plan already outlines leveraging its mineral wealth—including uranium, titanium, lithium, and graphite—for strategic partnerships, it remains uncertain whether those resources would be part of any potential agreement with the U.S.
Zelensky also revealed that discussions between Ukraine and the U.S. include the possibility of using Ukraine’s underground facilities to store American-produced natural gas, adding another dimension to the negotiations.
Additionally, he expressed a strong interest in meeting with Trump before any potential U.S. talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
