President Donald Trump suggested Ukraine begin offering critical minerals to the U.S. in exchange for military aid, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy seemingly welcomed the idea. (Reuters/Carlos Barria)
Zelenskyy had been trying to develop the untapped resources, offering tax breaks and investment rights to outside entities looking to mine the minerals in 2021, before the start of the war. The Ukrainian leader pitched the mining of such minerals as part of the victory plan he drew up last year and pitched to U.S. lawmakers.
Ukraine has strategic reserves of titanium, lithium, graphite and uranium, but much of its critical minerals are in areas currently under occupation by Russia. Donetsk, Luhansk and Dnipropetrovsk are all some of the most mineral-rich regions, meaning Ukraine would need to take back territory to get them out.
Zelenskyy revealed Ukrainian leaders have had contact with U.S. officials, including Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, and are nailing down a time for them to visit.
Ukraine has been fighting off Russia's invasion since February 2022. (Reuters/Ivan Antypenko)
"If we call things as they are, this is a proposal to buy help — in other words, not to give it unconditionally, or for some other reasons, but specifically to provide it on a commercial basis," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters Tuesday.
"It would be better, of course, for the assistance to not be provided at all, as that would contribute to the end of this conflict," he added.
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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Trump’s suggestion "very egotistic, very self-centered," and said Ukraine would need its resources to finance postwar rebuilding.
China is by far the biggest producer of rare earth minerals, used in smartphones, electric vehicles, household appliances and even cancer drugs. It accounts for around 70% of global production.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/zelenskyy-signals-willingness-pay-trumps-price-military-aid-ukraine