Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is leveraging the country’s large deposits of rare earth materials and critical minerals to win the favor of President Trump ahead of high-stakes negotiations to end Russia’s war of aggression.

Trump said Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to begin negotiations immediately, with plans to meet in Saudi Arabia. Trump’s top officials are in Europe this week huddling with Ukrainian and European officials on plans to end the war.

Ukraine is offering itself as a reliable partner in the global competition for key mineral resources – if occupying Russian forces are ousted from Ukrainian territory where some of these resources are located.

“We have a lot of rare sources, rare materials, which is crucially important for weapon production. We explained to our colleagues as now, under Russian control, our eastern part, where there are a lot of these resources,” Lesia Zaburranna, a Ukrainian member of Parliament, told The Hill, following meetings in Washington D.C. last week.

“For us it’s very important to liberate [these territories] because in this case, these resources will be developed by Ukraine and the USA. But not Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was in Kyiv on Wednesday and said that a minerals deal with Washington would provide Ukraine with a post-war “security shield.”

“Security matters. Moscow and its allies cannot be allowed to gain control over Ukraine, and that means we must work together—across the free world,” Zelensky posted on X about his meeting with Bessent.

Trump said he wants Ukraine to provide about $500 billion worth of rare earth elements, suggesting it as repayment for U.S. military and economic aid provided to Kyiv since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in Feb. 2022.

Trump says the U.S. provided close to $300 billion in support to Ukraine. The federal watchdog monitoring Ukraine aid reports about $183 billion in U.S. aid obligated, with less than $90 billion........

© The Hill