President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Pool via AP)

A former Tory defence secretary has savaged Donald Trump’s deal to give Ukraine military support in exchange for access to the country’s valuable minerals.

Ben Wallace said the offer - which is set to be accepted by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy - was “total extortion”.

Under the deal, it is understood that an “investment fund” would be set up by to pay for the reconstruction of Ukraine once its war with Russia ends.

The fund would be managed by both Ukraine and the US, with Kyiv contributing 50% from the sale of state-owned mineral resources.

Trump claims that the US has given Kyiv between $300 and $350 billion in aid since the start of the war and he wants to “get that money back”.

However, it is unclear what, if any, security guarantees Ukraine is getting from America as part of the deal.

Appearing on CNN, Wallace - who served as defence secretary under

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