'Hundreds of...’: US President Donald Trump pushes Ukraine for rare Earth metal deal for military support

US President Donald Trump has said he wants a deal with Ukraine that would allow the US access to the country’s rare earth materials. He stated that this agreement would be a condition for continuing American support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.

Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump emphasized that the United States has provided significantly more military and economic aid to Ukraine than European countries. He expressed frustration over this imbalance, suggesting that European nations should contribute equally or even more to Ukraine’s defense.

“We’re giving them money, we’re giving them equipment, and the Europeans are not keeping up. They should be paying at least as much as us, but they are billions of dollars behind," Trump said.

He highlighted Ukraine’s rich reserves of rare earth minerals, which are essential for advanced technology and defense industries. Trump indicated that negotiations were underway to secure American access to these resources as part of the aid agreement.

“Ukraine has very valuable rare earth. We’re looking to do a deal where they secure what we’re giving them with their rare earth and other things," Trump said. He also mentioned that Ukrainian officials had shown interest in making such a deal.

Trump, who has previously claimed he would quickly end the war, stated that discussions were ongoing to find a resolution to the conflict.

“We made a lot of progress on Russia and Ukraine. We’ll see what happens. We’re going to stop that ridiculous war," he added.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed concerns about any US-Russia negotiations that exclude Ukraine. Speaking to the Associated Press, Zelenskyy said, “They may have their own relations, but talking about Ukraine without us is dangerous for everyone."

He confirmed that discussions with the Trump administration had begun, but they were still at an early stage. He expects direct meetings soon to develop more detailed agreements.