U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will visit Ukraine this week as part of initial talks to secure U.S. access to rare earth metals.
This was reported by persons familiar with the matter in a commentary for Bloomberg, reports UNN.
Bessent will be the first member of Donald Trump's cabinet to visit Ukraine. His trip to Kyiv comes a few days after the president said his administration is seeking to strike a deal with Ukraine on access to resources in exchange for help in defending itself against a Russian invasion.
A White House spokesperson declined to comment. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters earlier that he plans to meet with “serious people” from the Trump administration in Ukraine before the Munich Security Conference, which starts on February 14.
Zelenskyy has made it clear that he is ready for a deal that would extend US support in exchange for some of Ukraine's rare earth elements and other minerals.
If we are talking about a deal, then let's conclude it, we are all for it
Ukraine has significant reserves of uranium and several critical minerals, including titanium, lithium, and graphite. The government in Kyiv estimates that they could be worth trillions of dollars. Mike Walz, Trump's national security adviser, said that this week's meeting will discuss future aid to Ukraine.
We have to offset these costs, and that includes partnering with Ukrainians on their rare earths, natural resources, and oil and gas, as well as buying our
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AFP reported that US President Donald Trump said he wants to exchange rare earth metals from Ukraine for American aid.