Ukraine is facing mounting pressure from the United States to sign over access to its vast reserves of rare earth minerals, with President Donald Trump warning that failure to strike a deal could lead to “a lot of problems” for Kiev. The negotiations, which have sparked accusations of economic coercion and neo-colonialism, highlight the geopolitical significance of Ukraine’s natural resources amid its ongoing conflict with Russia.

The controversy began last October when Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky first proposed the idea of granting Washington access to his country’s rare earth minerals as part of broader economic and security cooperation. Earlier this month, Trump reiterated his administration’s interest in securing the resources, demanding what he described as the “equivalent of $500 billion” in natural assets as compensation for US military and financial aid provided to Ukraine since the start of the conflict with Russia.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on February 21, Trump emphasized the urgency of reaching an agreement. “We’re going to either sign a deal or there’s gonna be a lot of problems with [Ukraine],” the US president stated. He expressed hope that an agreement would be finalized “in the next fairly short period of time,” adding that Washington expects to receive “four or five hundred billion dollars back” through access to Ukraine’s critical minerals.

Trump contrasted his approach with that of his predecessor, Joe Biden, criticizing the previous administration for providing aid to Ukraine without securing tangible returns. “We’re spending our treasure on… a country that’s very,........

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