Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has proposed a deal with the United States, offering access to Ukraine's vast rare earth and critical mineral deposits in exchange for financial support and security guarantees. Zelenskyy, during an interview with Reuters on Friday, emphasized Ukraine's need for security guarantees from its allies as part of any settlement with Russia.
The proposal comes after U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration is pushing for a rapid end to the war in Ukraine, said on Monday that he wanted Ukraine to supply the U.S. with rare earths and other minerals in return for supporting its war effort. Zelenskyy, while acknowledging Ukraine's need for assistance, stressed that they are not proposing to “give away” their resources, but rather to develop them jointly with allies.
Zelenskyy also revealed that Kyiv and the White House are discussing the idea of using Ukraine's vast underground gas storage sites to store U.S. liquefied natural gas. He stated that Ukraine is ready and willing to have contracts for LNG supplies to Ukraine and to become a hub for Europe.