Trump Seeks Deal for Rare Earths with Russia
US President Donald Trump has expressed a willingness to consider the concept of collaboratively developing Russia's mineral resources. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Cooperation would be “great” for Washington and Moscow, the US president believes
US President Donald Trump has expressed interest in the potential for collaborating with Russia on the development of its mineral resources, a proposal recently put forth by President Vladimir Putin.
On Monday, Putin stated that Moscow is ready to work with Washington to explore rare-earth mineral deposits found in Russia’s Donetsk, Lugansk People’s Republics, along with the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.
When asked on Tuesday if he and Putin had talked about such a partnership, Trump confirmed his enthusiasm for the idea.
“I’d like to buy minerals on Russian land, too, if we can... They have very good rare earths, also, and oil and gas. Look, it’s a great thing,” Trump remarked to reporters at the White House. “It’s great for Russia, too, because we could do deals there. They have very valuable land that isn’t utilized. So something like that could take place, yeah.”
Russia ranks fourth globally in rare earth reserves.
Putin addressed the significance of rare-earth minerals, highlighting that while Russia will focus on its own development of these resources due to their strategic importance in various economic sectors, it remains open to collaborating with international partners, including the US, if they show interest.
The Trump administration has been increasingly focused on rare earths and other metals as part of the president’s effort to recoup American “investments” in the Ukraine situation. Trump has demanded up to $500 billion in natural resources as a form of compensation for aid previously provided to Kiev. After several delays, Ukrainian officials reportedly agreed to the arrangement, with President Vladimir Zelensky expected to visit Washington on Friday to finalize the agreement.
“I hear that he’s coming on Friday. Certainly, it’s okay with me if he’d like to sign it together with me, and I understand that’s a big deal, very big deal… the American taxpayer now is going to get their money back plus,” Trump stated.
Regarding the minerals deal with Ukraine, Putin commented that it “doesn’t concern” Moscow, as the actual worth of Ukraine’s mineral deposits remains unclear.
Before the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine in 2022, the country was home to Europe’s largest reserves of titanium and lithium. Although these metals do not fall under the category of rare-earth elements, they are essential for the defense industry and for manufacturing batteries and capacitors. Ukraine’s mineral wealth includes rare-earth metals such as beryllium, manganese, gallium, uranium, zirconium, graphite, apatite, fluorite, and nickel.
In 2023, Forbes Ukraine assessed the total worth of the country's mineral resources at around $14.8 trillion, encompassing 111 billion metric tons, with coal and iron ore making up the largest share. However, over 70% of these resources are concentrated in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, which declared independence from Ukraine in 2014 after the Western-supported Maidan coup in Kiev. These regions became part of Russia following referendums in 2022 where residents voted to join Russia.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
US President Donald Trump has expressed interest in the potential for collaborating with Russia on the development of its mineral resources, a proposal recently put forth by President Vladimir Putin.
On Monday, Putin stated that Moscow is ready to work with Washington to explore rare-earth mineral deposits found in Russia’s Donetsk, Lugansk People’s Republics, along with the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.
When asked on Tuesday if he and Putin had talked about such a partnership, Trump confirmed his enthusiasm for the idea.
“I’d like to buy minerals on Russian land, too, if we can... They have very good rare earths, also, and oil and gas. Look, it’s a great thing,” Trump remarked to reporters at the White House. “It’s great for Russia, too, because we could do deals there. They have very valuable land that isn’t utilized. So something like that could take place, yeah.”
Russia ranks fourth globally in rare earth reserves.
Putin addressed the significance of rare-earth minerals, highlighting that while Russia will focus on its own development of these resources due to their strategic importance in various economic sectors, it remains open to collaborating with international partners, including the US, if they show interest.
The Trump administration has been increasingly focused on rare earths and other metals as part of the president’s effort to recoup American “investments” in the Ukraine situation. Trump has demanded up to $500 billion in natural resources as a form of compensation for aid previously provided to Kiev. After several delays, Ukrainian officials reportedly agreed to the arrangement, with President Vladimir Zelensky expected to visit Washington on Friday to finalize the agreement.
“I hear that he’s coming on Friday. Certainly, it’s okay with me if he’d like to sign it together with me, and I understand that’s a big deal, very big deal… the American taxpayer now is going to get their money back plus,” Trump stated.
Regarding the minerals deal with Ukraine, Putin commented that it “doesn’t concern” Moscow, as the actual worth of Ukraine’s mineral deposits remains unclear.
Before the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine in 2022, the country was home to Europe’s largest reserves of titanium and lithium. Although these metals do not fall under the category of rare-earth elements, they are essential for the defense industry and for manufacturing batteries and capacitors. Ukraine’s mineral wealth includes rare-earth metals such as beryllium, manganese, gallium, uranium, zirconium, graphite, apatite, fluorite, and nickel.
In 2023, Forbes Ukraine assessed the total worth of the country's mineral resources at around $14.8 trillion, encompassing 111 billion metric tons, with coal and iron ore making up the largest share. However, over 70% of these resources are concentrated in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, which declared independence from Ukraine in 2014 after the Western-supported Maidan coup in Kiev. These regions became part of Russia following referendums in 2022 where residents voted to join Russia.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
