4 February 2025

U.S. President Donald Trump said he would possibly be interested in continuing U.S. aid to Ukraine in exchange for access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals.

“We’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earth and other things,” Trump said Monday in the Oval Office.

Trump has indicated Ukraine is open to the possibility of an agreement of delivering rare earth minerals to the U.S. in exchange for the continuation of U.S. aid to Ukraine for its war against Russia, according to an Associated Press report.

“We’re putting in hundreds of billions of dollars. They have great rare earth. And I want security of the rare earth, and they’re willing to do it,” the U.S. president said.

Rare earth minerals like those in Ukraine, include lithium and titanium. They are essential for an array of modern high-tech products...

“They continue their attacks, constantly adjusting their strikes to the capabilities of our defense, making them more difficult to repel,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

“There is a constant rapid evolution of electronic warfare,” the president said and urged Ukraine to “be much faster” in adjusting to the continuous changes...