Russia has proposed a potential agreement with the Trump administration under which the United States will gain some ownership rights in Ukraine’s rare earth minerals and other valuable metals controlled by the Russian military. The proposal was briefed.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previously proposed a similar deal to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who initially rejected Donald Trump President Donald Trump.
U.S. officials and briefings to the proposal said that at a meeting in Saudi Arabia last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s supreme aide brought up Russia’s ideas.
The plans Russia specifically prepares to discuss with U.S. officials include potential minerals that could bring the Trump administration into Donetsk and Zaporizhia, two U.S. officials said, two U.S. officials said.
U.S. officials and briefings for the proposal said the Trump administration has not yet promised a U.S.-Russian deal on rare earth minerals, but has not excluded it.
“Trump is dealt with, so Putin – understand – has raised this counter-effect.” He added that Russians can clearly see Trump’s versus Ukraine Interest in natural resources and Zelenskyy’s hesitation.
Trump suggested on Monday that an agreement with Russia would be opened.
“We are working on some economic development deals. They have a lot of things we want,” Trump told reporters, referring to Russia. “You know, they have huge rare earths. They are very big. …
“If we can do that, I think it’s a good thing for world peace and lasting peace,” Trump added. “Just like we do with Ukraine, if we can be in Russia and get what we want It would be possible to do some economic development in terms of things.”
In an interview with Russian state television on Monday, Putin said he was willing to provide U.S. sales for rare minerals occupied by Ukraine and Russia.
Putin said negotiations with Ukraine on a deal to share the country’s mineral resources income have responded, and Putin said the deal would not attract attention, and Russia “has more of this kind of resource than Ukraine.” It also said that his administration and the United States can cooperate on aluminum extraction and supply.
A spokesman for the National Security Council pointed out Trump’s speech on Monday when asked about Russia’s proposal to reach a deal with the United States on rare earth minerals and other metals, including Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine’s territory by invading Ukraine on Ukraine.
Russia’s embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.
Zelenskyy first proposed an agreement with the “Strategic Partners” to jointly develop and secure the country’s natural resources as part of last year’s proposed peace plan.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s meeting in Saudi Arabia; National Security Adviser Mike Waltz; Trump administration’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff; Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Raf Sergei Lavrov; and Yuri Ushakov, an adviser to Putin.
Russia proposed a new economic partnership to U.S. officials that will involve Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine’s territory in 2022, which will coincide with the end of the war.
It will effectively ensure that Russia will retain its occupied Ukrainian territory and hope to retain it as part of a negotiated peace agreement. It also aims to call on Trump to seek financial cuts for the United States at the end of the negotiation war. NBC News reported that Trump has urged Ukraine to agree to give the United States $500 billion worth of rare earth minerals and recommended that the two countries distribute their ownership of the minerals equally.
Trump said this week that his administration is about to sign a deal with Ukraine on its rare earth minerals. He also said he hopes to meet Zelenskyy soon.
Russia’s potential motivation may be that U.S. joint ownership of Ukraine’s mineral wealth could change Trump’s perception of Ukraine’s interests and undermine Moscow’s goal to dominate the country in the country.
Many of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals are under control or threatened by the Russian military, and Russian oligarchs are already exploiting some of them, according to five U.S. officials.
Entering rare earth minerals on any Ukrainian territory can become complicated and expensive.
James Cowan, CEO of Halo Trust, a humanitarian ore body organization working in Ukraine, warned at this month’s security meeting that up to 156,000 square kilometers of Ukraine in Ukraine are contaminated by land mines or other explosives.
“If it is out of reach, any proposal would need to be included in the mineral wealth of Ukraine,” Cohen, the retired British major general, said at the time.
