Summary
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed willingness to strike a deal with Donald Trump, offering U.S. access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals in exchange for resumed military aid.
Trump, who had paused aid, conditioned further support on securing Ukraine’s mineral resources, including uranium, titanium, lithium, and graphite.
This aligns with Ukraine’s “Victory Plan” to leverage its natural resources for economic stability.
The proposed deal is expected to dominate talks when Zelensky and Trump meet next week, as Trump aims to end the war within six months.
This was already agreed to last year, but Zelenskyy postponed the announcement specifically to appeal to Trump’s vanity.