According to the Trump administration, if a peace agreement with Russia is reached, American troops may be sent in to offer security in relation to the minerals.
According to individuals who spoke to NBC News, the Trump administration suggested that if a peace agreement with Russia is reached, American forces may be sent in to provide security in relation to the minerals.
According to four U.S. officials, the Trump administration has proposed to Ukraine that the United States be given 50% ownership of the nation’s rare earth resources and has indicated that it is willing to send American troops there to protect them in the event that an agreement with Russia to end the conflict is reached.
According to two officials, the ownership deal would allow Ukraine to pay back the United States for the billions of dollars in weaponry and assistance it has given Kyiv since the war started in February 2022, rather than paying for the minerals.
According to eight U.S. sources briefed on the discussion, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent brought a draft contract to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s meeting in Kyiv on Wednesday, proposing that the United States hold half of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals.
Following the meeting, Bessent stated that the president’s objective was represented in the draft of a rare earth minerals deal between the United States and Ukraine, but he did not elaborate on the specifics of the administration’s proposal.
According to the eight U.S. officials briefed on the discussion, Zelenskyy refused to sign the document when Bessent delivered it during their meeting, stating he needed to review it and speak with others about it.
Prior to his arrival in Munich, where he met Friday with U.S. lawmakers and Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of a global security conference, the Ukrainian leader stated at the time that he and his team “will do everything to review all details of the document.”
Requests for response Friday were not immediately answered by the White House National Security Council spokesperson or the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington.
In his remarks at the security conference on Friday, Zelenskyy stated that his attorneys will review the document Bessent gave him in Kyiv and make some revisions and suggestions. He described the plan as a U.S.-Ukraine memorandum rather than a security pact.
In recent months, President Donald Trump has shown interest in reaching an agreement with Ukraine that would provide the United States with substantial access to its rare earth minerals, which are utilized in the production of numerous technological products.
Trump indicated that Kyiv has “essentially agreed to do so” when he stated in a recent interview with Fox News that he wants the United States to acquire $500 billion worth of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals.
This month, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he would consider having access to the minerals to be a kind of “security.”
“Rare earth security is what I want.” Hundreds of billions of dollars are being invested by us. They have a lot of rare earth, and they are eager to provide it to me if I want it secured,” Trump stated.
According to three U.S. officials, much of Ukraine’s resources are located in regions that are currently under Russian military control.
According to Ukrainian officials, Zelenskyy has long supported the notion of trading “critical resources” for ongoing U.S. assistance, referring to it as a component of the “Victory Plan” that he discussed with Trump during a meeting last October.
It would be “very, very difficult” for Ukraine to survive without U.S. military assistance, Zelenskyy said in an exclusive interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker on Friday at the Munich Security Conference.
“You have an opportunity in every challenging circumstance. However, our chances of surviving without American assistance will be slim. It’s crucial, in my opinion,” Zelenskyy stated.
This week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that any security assurances for Ukraine will not include the deployment of U.S. troops. According to a Friday story in the Wall Street Journal, Vance stated in an interview with the publication that if Russia does not engage in sincere peace talks, the United States is “on the table” of deploying troops to Ukraine.
At a previous campaign rally, Trump called Zelenskyy “the greatest salesman of all time,” expressing his longstanding resentment of the extent of U.S. backing for Ukraine.
In September, Trump declared, “Zelenskyy always leaves the United States with $100 billion.” He is, in my opinion, the world’s best salesman. But unless I become president, we will remain in that battle.