The Trump administration proposed to President Zelenskyy giving to the US 50% ownership of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals as reimbursement for military support, but the Ukrainian president reportedly declined to sign this document immediately.
This comes after President Trump publicly expressed interest in securing access to Ukraine’s natural resources in exchange for US military aid. Ukraine possesses significant deposits of critical minerals, including titanium, uranium, lithium, and rare earth elements essential for advanced technologies
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy expressed concerns over Russia’s ongoing attempts to seize these assets, noting that up to 20% of Ukraine’s mineral wealth is already under Russian occupation. He emphasized that Kyiv is not planning to simply “give away” its minerals to the US, but rather focus on collaboration and shared profits via a mutually beneficial partnership.
Zelenskyy also warned that if these resources remain under Russian occupation, Moscow might share them with allies like North Korea and Iran, posing a security risk to the Western world. He also stated that Ukraine would find it “very, very difficult” to oppose Russian aggression without US military support.
According to NBC News, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent presented a draft contract outlining this proposal to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during their 13 February meeting in Kyiv. The proposal aims to compensate for billions in US weapons and support provided since February 2022.
An American journalist and The Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin wrote on X that according to his sources at the Munich Security Conference, US Ambassador Bridget Brink initially presented the plan to Zelenskyy before Bessent’s visit to Kyiv.
Rogin’s sources claimed that Zelenskyy declined to sign the document, citing the absence of security guarantees for Ukraine.
These guarantees would be aimed to ensure that Russia will not launch another conflict in Eastern Europe in a couple years. Zelenskyy believes Putin is only interested in a ceasefire to allow Russia’s military to regroup and attack again. The Ukrainian leader mentioned that if NATO membership is not an option, then conditions must be created to “build another NATO in Ukraine.”
NBC News also reported that the Ukrainian president refused to sign the document immediately when Bessent presented it, indicating he needed time to review it and consult with his team.
Zelenskyy and his team “will do everything to study all details of the document” before arriving in Munich on 14 February, where he meets with Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Potential American troops in Ukraine
Furthermore, the US indicated readiness to deploy American troops in Ukraine to secure Ukrainian natural resources following a peace deal with Russia.
While Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated US troops would not be deployed as part of security guarantees, The Wall Street Journal reports that Vice President JD Vance indicated troop deployment is “on the table” if Russia fails to negotiate a peace agreement in good faith.
Before Zelenskyy’s meeting with the US Treasury Secretary in Kyiv, Trump claimed that Ukraine had “essentially” agreed to provide Washington with access to rare earth minerals worth $500 billion.
Related:
- Zelenskyy urges US allies to shield Ukraine’s trillion-dollar titanium, uranium resources
- Putin only seeks ceasefire to regroup forces, dodge sanctions – Zelenskyy
- US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejects suggestions of early concessions to Putin
- Russia-Ukraine war to dominate Munich Security Conference, says US Secretary of State