By Sama Marwan,
A senior Ukrainian official close to President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that Zelensky told his aides to reject a proposal from the Trump administration that would grant the U.S. broad access to Ukraine’s rare earth metals, citing a lack of sufficient security guarantees in return.
According to NBC News, a U.S. official stated that the proposal was intended as a form of compensation for the support Washington has provided to Kyiv since the war with Russia began three years ago. However, Zelensky’s close aide noted that the Ukrainian president did not feel the deal included adequate security assurances for his country.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bissett was the first to present Zelensky with a draft agreement last week, which would have given the U.S. 50% ownership of Ukraine’s rare earth metals.
Zelensky addressed the issue at the Munich Security Conference, stating in a quote first published by the Associated Press on Saturday:
“I did not allow my ministers to sign a related agreement because, in my opinion, it is not ready to protect us or our interests.”
A U.S. official described Zelensky’s response as “short-sighted,” arguing that the deal would have ensured a “lasting partnership” between the two countries. He added that binding economic relations with the U.S. would be the best guarantee against future aggression and a key element of long-term peace.
“The U.S. understands this, the Russians understand this, and the Ukrainians should understand this too,” the official stated.
American officials familiar with the proposal expressed openness to deploying U.S. forces to Ukraine to protect the metals, but only after reaching an agreement with Russia to end the war.
