President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy supports a strategic partnership with the United States in the extraction of rare earth metals, which may become part of an agreement on economic support and security guarantees for Ukraine. Reuters reports UNN.
The Trump administration, which is pushing for an early end to the war in Ukraine, has said it would like to receive rare earth metals and other resources from Kyiv in exchange for financial support.
“If we are talking about an agreement, then let's conclude it - we are all for it,” Zelenskyy said, emphasizing that any agreements should include security guarantees for Ukraine.
Last fall, Ukraine offered its allies the opportunity to invest in its critical minerals production as part of its “victory plan,” which was intended to strengthen Kyiv's position in the negotiations and force Moscow to the negotiating table.
Zelenskyy said that less than 20% of Ukraine's mineral resources, including about half of rare earth deposits, are currently under Russian occupation.
Rare earth metals are key to the production of high-performance magnets, electric motors, and electronics. Zelenskyy emphasized that Moscow could transfer access to these resources to its allies, North Korea and Iran, which are both US adversaries.
“We have to stop Putin and protect what we have - the rich Dnipro region, central Ukraine,” he said.
According to the President, Ukraine has the largest reserves of titanium in Europe, which is critical for the aviation and space industries, as well as significant deposits of uranium, which is used for energy and nuclear weapons. Many of these deposits are located in northwestern Ukraine, far from the war zone.
However, Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine does not propose to “give away” its resources, but seeks to develop them together with its allies.
“The Americans have helped us the most, so they should have priority access to these opportunities. And they will get it. I want to discuss this issue personally with President Trump,” Zelenskyy said.
He also reminded that Russia has known a detailed geological map of Ukraine since Soviet times, as the relevant research was taken to Moscow after Ukraine gained independence in 1991.
In addition, Ukraine and the United States are discussing the possibility of using Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities to store American liquefied natural gas (LNG).
“I know that the Trump administration is very interested in this... We are ready to sign contracts for the supply of LNG to Ukraine and become a gas hub for the whole of Europe,” he emphasized.
Recall
US President Donald Trump saidthat he is likely to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy next week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants to meet personally with Donald Trump before the US president meets with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.