"I want our money to be protected": Trump says Ukraine agreed to provide the US with $500 billion worth of rare earth metals

Ukraine is ready to provide the United States with rare earth minerals worth $500 billion as compensation for military assistance. However, the implementation of this deal will depend on political circumstances and further negotiations between Kyiv and Washington.

Donald Trump said this in an interview with Fox News. The politician emphasized that the United States should have access to Ukrainian natural resources regardless of whether a peace agreement with Russia is reached.

"They have extremely valuable land in terms of rare earths [metals], in terms of oil and gas, other things. I want our money to be protected because weʼre spending hundreds of billions of dollars [on Ukraine]. They may make a deal, they may not make a deal. They may be Russian someday, they may not be Russian someday. I told them [Ukrainian representatives] that I wanted to get the equivalent of about $500 billion worth of rare earth [metals], and they essentially agreed to do it. Otherwise, we're stupid. I said to them we have to — 'we have to get something. We can’t continue to pay this money," Trump said.

The head of the White House also emphasized that providing assistance to Ukraine without any compensation from Kyiv would be a reckless move on the part of the United States. This is not the first time Trump has made a statement about the possibility of American companies gaining access to Ukrainian resources.

Back in early February, he told The New York Post that he planned to sign a $500 million deal to mine rare earth minerals and natural gas in Ukraine. According to him, this agreement will be part of a larger deal to guarantee security in a potential peaceful settlement of the war.

Earlier, Trump repeatedly expressed the idea that any financial or military support from the United States should be accompanied by economic benefits for Washington. This approach is a logical continuation of his America First policy, which he promoted during his presidential term.

Commenting on Trump's statement, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Kyiv is ready to cooperate with international partners in developing its resources. He emphasized that any agreement would be concluded with those who help Ukraine in its struggle for independence.

"We are open to the fact, that all of this can be developed together, along with our partners who can help us protect our lands.This is absolutely fair," Zelensky said. The Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed the information about the $500 billion agreement already concluded, but this issue remains relevant given the strategic importance of rare earth minerals.

What are rare earth minerals and why are they so important?

Rare earth minerals are a group of 17 chemical elements that are widely used in modern technologies. They are critical for the production of electronics, batteries, military equipment, and alternative energy sources. The most important among them are:

• Neodymium (Nd) - used in the production of magnets for electric motors and generators;
• Europium (Eu) - used in laser technologies and screens;
• Terbium (Tb) and Dysprosium (Dy) - needed to create powerful magnets in electric vehicle motors;
• Lanthanum (La) and Cerium (Ce) - used in catalytic converters and glass ceramics.

Most of the world's rare earth minerals are currently mined in China, which gives Beijing a strategic advantage. That is why the United States is interested in diversifying the supply of these resources and sees Ukraine as a potential partner.

As previously reported, Ukraine needs to audit its subsoil in order to return illegally appropriated deposits and make them available to attract foreign investors. To do this, it is necessary to conduct an audit, return the resources to state ownership and create transparent conditions for their further use.

You can find only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!