Former U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that the U.S. will continue assisting Ukraine only if the country agrees to provide its rare mineral resources to the United States.
If Ukraine does not agree to this condition, not only will new aid be halted, but Kyiv will also be pressured to return the assistance it received under the Biden administration. In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Trump claimed that since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, Washington has provided Kyiv with military and other forms of aid amounting to between $30 billion and $35 billion. If the U.S. continues providing aid without receiving anything in return, it would be a “major act of foolishness,” he said.
Speaking to Fox News, Trump said, “My simple statement is that I want security for our money; because we have already spent hundreds of billions of dollars in Ukraine. They have land full of resources—whether it is rare minerals, oil, gas, or other natural assets, they have it in abundance.”
“I have told them that Washington wants rare minerals worth $50 billion from Ukraine, and Kyiv has verbally agreed to it. Now, we are just waiting for a written agreement.”
In 2024, the World Economic Forum (WEF) published a report stating that Ukraine’s land contains vast reserves of beryllium, manganese, gallium, uranium, zirconium, graphite, apatite, fluorite, and nickel. These metals and minerals are highly scarce and essential for various sectors, including defense, high-tech industries, and green energy production. According to WEF data, 7% of the global reserves of these critical minerals are in Ukraine.
Trump told Fox News that he is determined to bring Ukraine’s mineral resources to the United States, even if Kyiv does not agree to the deal. “Whether they (Kyiv) agree to this deal or not is their choice. Whether Ukraine eventually becomes part of Russian territory is also up to them. But I am telling you— the money we have sent to Ukraine must be recovered, and it will be.”