Speaking from the Oval Office on Monday, former President Donald Trump made it clear—if Ukraine wants continued U.S. backing in its war against Russia, it should offer something in return. Specifically, Trump suggested a deal granting the U.S. access to Ukraine’s rare earth metals.
“We want to make an agreement where they secure what we give them with their rare earth metals and other things,” he told reporters, as cited by AP and Reuters. He emphasized that the U.S. has poured more military and financial aid into Ukraine than its European allies and argued that American support should come with guarantees.
Trump claimed Ukrainian officials had expressed willingness to grant access to minerals “crucial to the modern high-tech economy.” He underscored the vast sums of U.S. aid, saying, “We put in hundreds of billions of dollars. They have fantastic rare earth metals, and I want safety for those metals. They’re willing to do so.”
“We Will Stop the Ridiculous War”
Trump, who has repeatedly vowed to end the conflict within 24 hours of returning to office, suggested negotiations were already underway. However, Russian sources dismissed those claims.
“We’ve made great progress in Russia and Ukraine,” he insisted. “We’ll see what happens. We will stop the ridiculous war.”
His proposal, however, didn’t sit well with some Western leaders. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, speaking after a meeting with EU officials, called the idea “very selfish,” arguing that Ukraine’s natural resources should be preserved for post-war reconstruction.
