‘Let’s do a deal’: Zelensky offers Ukraine’s resources to Trump
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is pursuing a deal with the United States that would grant American companies access to Ukraine’s rare earths and other minerals in return for financially supporting its war against Russia.
“If we are talking about a deal, then let’s do a deal, we are only for it,” Zelensky said in an interview with Reuters on Friday.
The Ukrainian leader added that Kiev and the White House were discussing the idea of using the country’s underground gas storage sites to store American liquefied natural gas, calling it “very interesting”.
This comes as US President Donald Trump said he may meet with Zelensky in the White House as early as next week, indicating that he was interested in discussing Ukraine’s resources in order to “equalize” the “$300 billion-plus” in support that the US has provided Kiev.
Ukraine is home to roughly 5% of the world’s mineral resources, with rich deposits of titanium, uranium, iron, manganese and lithium — as well as rare earth minerals that are considered vital to US national security. Zelensky said that half of his country’s rare earths are under Russian control.
The US does not maintain its own supply of titanium, instead buying from other nations — including non-aligned states.
In 2022, the US reportedly bought nearly $80 million worth of titanium from China and more than $63 million from Russia.
Zelensky has demanded to meet with Trump before the US president speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, claiming that any talks between Trump and Putin before consulting Kiev would amount to a “discussion about Ukraine without Ukraine.”
The interview was conducted days before the February 14-16 Munich Security Conference, where officials from dozens of Western countries will get together to discuss the nearly three-year-old war.
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