US President Donald Trump has said that Ukraine "in fact agreed" to give the United States access to rare earth metals worth $ 500 billion as compensation for military assistance. He noted that Ukraine has "extremely valuable lands in terms of rare earth metals, oil and gas, as well as other resources." Trump stressed the need to return the invested funds, given the significant US expenses to support Ukraine.
“They have an extremely valuable land in terms of rare land [metals], oil, gas and other resources. I want our money to be safe because we spend hundreds of billions of dollars [in Ukraine], ”Trump said in an interview with Fox News.
He stressed that the United States should have access to Ukraine's natural resources, regardless of possible peaceful settlement between Russia and Ukraine, stressing that the "over $ 300 billion" that the US has provided Ukraine is much exceeding the contributions of other countries.
“They can conclude an agreement. They may not conclude an agreement. They can become Russians ever or not become them. But we will have all this money in [Ukraine], and I say, I want to return them, ”the US President added.
Trump stressed that it would be "stupid" without compensation without compensation.
“I told them: 'We have to… we have to get something. We cannot continue to pay this money '. I need rare land [metals] worth about $ 500 billion, and they, in fact, agreed to do so, ”Trump said.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed support for a mutual resource agreement with the United States in exchange for security guarantees under a potential peaceful settlement.
“If we talk about an agreement, then let's conclude an agreement, we are only for it. We need to stop Putin and protect what we have is a very rich Dnieper region in Central Ukraine, ” said Reuters Zelensky agency.
Ukraine owns about 5% of world mineral resources, including rich deposits of titanium, uranium, iron, manganese and lithium, as well as rare earth metals that are considered vital to US national security.
The US delegation is expected to be led by Vice president JD Vance and a special envoy of Trump in Ukraine and Russia, a retired Lieutenant-General Kit Kelloga, will meet Zelensky at the Munich Conference on Safety in Germany later to discuss almost three-year.
