Ukraine has offered to make a deal with U.S. President Donald Trump to continue U.S. military aid in exchange for developing Ukraine's mineral industry, which could provide a valuable source of rare earth elements that are essential for many types of technology, the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
Trump said he wanted such a deal earlier this month, and it was initially proposed last fall by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as part of his plan to strengthen Kiev's position in future negotiations with Moscow.
"We really have this great potential in the territory that we control," said Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian president's chief of staff, in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press. "We are interested in working, developing with our partners, first of all with the United States".
It is not clear whether Trump is looking for specific elements in Ukraine, which can also offer other minerals, the AP notes.
"It could be lithium. It could be titanium, uranium, many others," Ermak said. "We have a lot."
China, Trump's main geopolitical opponent, is the world's largest producer of rare earth elements. Both the United States and Europe are seeking to reduce their dependence on Beijing.
For Ukraine, such a deal would ensure that its largest and most important ally will not freeze its military support. Because if such a thing happens, it would be extremely unpleasant for the country, which has been at war for nearly three years after Russia's full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, notes the Associated Press.
The idea also comes at a time when reliable and uninterrupted access to critical minerals is becoming increasingly difficult worldwide.
Ukraine's reserves of rare earth elements are largely unused due to the war and because of state policies regulating the mining industry. The country also lacks good information to guide the development of rare earth element mining.