The United States has been seeking access to Ukraine’s rare earth elements and minerals for some time now. This desire was reiterated by both the U.S. President and Mike Waltz, the White House National Security Advisor. Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington on February 21, 2025, Waltz, a close ally of Donald Trump on national security matters, confirmed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will soon sign an agreement concerning the extraction of his country’s mineral resources.
Waltz emphasized the significance of the deal, stating, “Listen, in this situation, President Zelenskyy will sign this agreement, and you will see it happen very soon, and it’s good for Ukraine.” It is noted that these resources have long been sought after by foreign powers. Now, Trump seeks access to them as a form of compensation for the billions of dollars spent supporting Ukraine.
However, Zelenskyy had previously rejected the U.S. government’s request under Trump to allocate $500 billion worth of Ukraine’s mineral wealth as repayment for Washington’s aid. He argued that the amount provided thus far does not come close to that figure. Additionally, he expressed concerns over the lack of specific security guarantees within the agreement.
Yesterday, Waltz commented that “President Trump is clearly very disappointed with President Zelenskyy for not coming to the negotiating table, for not taking advantage of the opportunity we offered.” Despite the disagreements, the potential deal remains a significant topic of discussion between the two nations.