WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump declared Thursday that the United States would soon sign a deal with Ukraine for access to its rare earth minerals.
In a White House address, Trump said he had signed an order to “dramatically increase” US production of critical minerals and would “very shortly” sign a pact with Ukraine.
“We’re also signing agreements in various locations to unlock rare earths and minerals and lots of other things all over the world, but in particular Ukraine,“ he said.
“One of the things we are doing is signing a deal very shortly with respect to rare earths with Ukraine, which they have tremendous value in rare earths, and we appreciate that.”
Trump has been pressuring President Volodymyr Zelensky to sign economic deals to compensate the United States for its support in resisting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In particular, he has set his sights on Ukraine’s mineral wealth. Ukraine’s soils hold five percent of the world’s mineral resources, including iron, manganese, titanium, lithium and uranium.
But, while Ukraine has some “rare earths,“ a narrow classification of 17 metals within the wider category of critical minerals, none have yet been commercially exploited.
Last month, Zelensky blocked an agreement to give US miners access to develop mineral resources, because it did not include sufficient security guarantees against further Russian aggression.
But Trump has continued to push for a temporary ceasefire in the conflict.
