WASHINGTON — Recent discussions between the White House and Ukraine have reportedly made substantial headway towards establishing an agreement that would grant the United States access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals. This initiative aims to strengthen the long-term partnership between Kyiv and Washington, as per information from a source familiar with the current negotiations.
These dialogues follow a week of intense verbal exchanges between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who expressed significant reluctance to endorse a deal that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent advocated during his visit to Ukraine the previous week. Zelenskyy reiterated his concerns in a recent Munich meeting with Vice President JD Vance, indicating dissatisfaction with the absence of security guarantees in the proposed agreement.
Trump intensified his criticism of Zelenskyy’s management of the ongoing three-year conflict, accusing the Ukrainian administration of squandering Bessent’s time. However, progress was reportedly made during a three-day visit by retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who serves as Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. The person familiar with the ongoing matters noted that despite Trump’s strong rhetoric, meaningful discussions transpired among Kellogg, Zelenskyy, and other high-ranking Ukrainian officials during this period.
Discussions were not limited to just Zelenskyy; they also involved notable figures such as Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Rada speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk. Upon his return to Washington on Friday evening, Zelenskyy addressed the nation, stating that drafting an agreement was still in progress. His tone was notably hopeful despite Trump’s earlier claims in a Fox News Radio interview that Bessent’s trip had yielded no significant benefits.
Zelenskyy remarked, “Today, Ukrainian and U.S. teams are working on a draft agreement between our governments. This agreement can add value to our relations — what matters most is getting the details right to ensure it truly works. I look forward to a just result.” Trump had already shown interest in such an agreement earlier this month, which Zelenskyy had initially suggested last fall to fortify Ukraine’s position in future discussions with Russia.
Rare earth elements, comprising 17 essential minerals, are crucial for various consumer technologies, including smartphones, hard drives, and electric vehicles. Trump’s national security advisor voiced optimism that Zelenskyy would ultimately accept a deal allowing U.S. access to these valuable resources.
At the Conservative Political Action Conference, Mike Waltz confidently stated, “Here’s the bottom line. President Zelenskyy is going to sign that deal.” The details surrounding whether the White House would offer security guarantees to Ukraine in this burgeoning pact remain uncertain.
Preliminary proposals indicated that the U.S. could utilize Ukraine’s rare earth minerals “as compensation” for prior Biden administration support and as payment for future assistance. The White House National Security Council has yet to comment on these developments.
Meanwhile, Trump aides, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, recently engaged with senior advisors to Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia to discuss potential steps to conclude the war. Zelenskyy criticized Trump for excluding Ukraine and European allies from these discussions.
In response to this criticism during the radio interview, Trump dismissed its relevance, asserting that having Zelenskyy at the meetings was not essential, and noted that Zelenskyy was negotiating “with no cards.” Earlier in the week, Trump cautioned Zelenskyy to expedite negotiations to halt Russia’s invasion, warning that failure to act swiftly might result in Ukraine losing its sovereignty.
Trump’s critical comments about Zelenskyy have attracted backlash from both Democrats and some Republicans in Congress, where there exists a strong bipartisan commitment to supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression.
