Donald Trump calls for $500 billion of uncommon earth minerals from Ukraine

President Donald Trump meets with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Trump Tower, September 27, 2024, in New York. (AP)

US President Donald Trump on Monday demanded that Ukraine ought to present the US with uncommon earth minerals in return for monetary assist for warfare towards Russia. His remarks come as his administration prepares to ship a particular envoy to Ukraine to debate a proposal to finish the continued warfare with Russia.

Trump calls for $500 billion value of uncommon earth

Talking in an interview with Fox Information on Monday, Trump stated, “We’re going to have all this cash in there, and I say I need it again. And I advised them that I need the equal, like $500 billion value of uncommon earth.” He added, “And so they have primarily agreed to try this, so at the least we do not really feel silly.”
Trump additionally stated Ukraine “could also be Russian sometime, or they is probably not Russian sometime,” whereas discussing doable outcomes of the warfare. He has pushed for a fast decision to the battle however has not but outlined an in depth plan for negotiations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has beforehand raised the potential of permitting the US to develop Ukraine’s pure sources as a part of efforts to safe continued help. “The Individuals helped probably the most, and due to this fact the Individuals ought to earn probably the most,” Zelenskyy advised information company Reuters on Friday. “I might additionally like to speak about this with President Trump.”
Trump confirmed that his particular envoy, Keith Kellogg, will quickly journey to Ukraine to draft a plan to finish the preventing. Ukrainian officers stated Kellogg would arrive on February 20, simply days earlier than the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion on February 24.
US vp JD Vance can also be set to fulfill Zelenskyy this Friday on the sidelines of the Munich Safety Convention, the place US Secretary of State Marco Rubio may also be current.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly referred to as for sturdy safety ensures from the US and Nato as a part of any take care of Russia. Kyiv fears that with out concrete navy commitments, any settlement would give Moscow time to regroup for one more assault.
In the meantime, Russian forces proceed advancing in Ukraine’s japanese Donetsk area and have been concentrating on vitality infrastructure in latest months. On Tuesday, Ukraine’s vitality minister stated the nation is making use of emergency energy provide restrictions to attenuate the influence of ongoing assaults.

What are uncommon earth minerals?

Uncommon earth components are a bunch of 17 components that play a key position in shopper expertise, together with cellphones, onerous drives, and electrical and hybrid automobiles.
It isn’t clear which particular components Trump is referring to in Ukraine, although the nation has quite a lot of priceless minerals. “It may be lithium. It may be titanium, uranium, many others,” stated Andriy Yermak, Head of the Workplace of the President of Ukraine. “It is lots.”
China, which Trump has typically criticized as a geopolitical rival, is the biggest producer of uncommon earth components. Each the U.S. and Europe have been working to cut back their reliance on Beijing for these crucial sources.
For Ukraine, a deal involving its mineral sources may assist safe continued U.S. navy help, which is essential because the nation approaches the fourth yr of warfare with Russia. The proposal additionally comes at a time when entry to key minerals is changing into more and more troublesome worldwide.