US President Donald Trump has revealed that the United States has provided military and economic aid to Ukraine amounting to approximately $500 billion. In return, Trump is seeking access to Ukrainian minerals valued at the same amount. Negotiations on this deal are reportedly progressing well, with Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, Olga Stefanishyna, describing the ongoing discussions as "very constructive" and noting that nearly all key details have been finalized.
Meanwhile, the European Union has extended a partnership proposal to Ukraine. This proposal aims to secure access to Ukraine's mineral resources under what has been described as a "win-win" arrangement. Ukraine holds an estimated 5% of the world's critical raw materials, making it a significant player in the global market for essential minerals.
The Trump administration is actively encouraging Ukraine to finalize a deal granting the US access to its mineral wealth. In contrast, Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed little concern over this potential US-Ukraine agreement. Putin asserts that Russia possesses "significantly more resources" of rare minerals than Ukraine and has even offered the United States access to Russian resources, including those extracted from Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine.
Putin's proposal could foster collaboration between Russia and the United States in aluminium extraction and supply. Such cooperation aims to stabilize prices in this critical sector. Putin has stated that Russia is prepared to engage with "foreign partners," including companies interested in mining these valuable minerals. The Kremlin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, emphasized that the proposal presents "quite broad prospects" for the United States. He added that Russia holds substantial reserves of rare earth minerals necessary for various industries.
In addition to general mineral resources, Putin highlighted the potential for collaboration on aluminium production in Siberia's Krasnoyarsk region. The political landscape has shifted since Russia's invasion of Ukraine three years ago, with some Ukrainian mineral deposits now under Russian control.