‘Going to stop that ridiculous war’: Trump pushes Ukraine for rare earth deal in exchange for US aid

Donald Trump (AP file photo)

President Donald Trump signalled Monday that US support for Ukraine’s war effort could be tied to securing access to the country’s rare earth materials.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump expressed frustration over what he seeks as an imbalance in aid contributions between the US and Europe, stating, “We’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earth and other things.”
Trump suggested that Ukrainian officials were open to such an agreement, pointing out the strategic importance of rare earth minerals to the high-tech economy.
“I want to have security of rare earth,” he said. “We’re putting in hundreds of billions of dollars. They have great rare earth. And I want security of the rare earth, and they’re willing to do it.”
While Trump has previously claimed he could swiftly end the war, he said negotiations are ongoing. “We made a lot of progress on Russia, Ukraine. We’ll see what happens. We’re going to stop that ridiculous war.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, however, pushed back on any negotiations that exclude Kyiv.
“They may have their own relations, but talking about Ukraine without us—it is dangerous for everyone,” he told the Associated Press.
He acknowledged contacts with the Trump administration but said detailed discussions are yet to take place. “We need to work more on this.”