U.S. President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky have struck a deal regarding Ukraine’s rare earth metals, paving the way for further negotiations on ending the war.
Trump says that in exchange for access to its minerals (50 percent of revenues from state-owned mineral resources), Ukraine will receive military equipment and “the right to fight on.” The U.S. president said the deal will help the Ukrainian economy while paying back the United States the tens of billions it has sent Ukraine in aid, including military equipment.
In terms of how long such aid could continue, Politico reports that Trump said: ”It could go forward for a while, and maybe until we have a deal with Russia.”
Trump has expressed interest in a minerals deal with Putin as well.
News of the agreement with Kyiv comes just in time, as many were calling into question just how long Ukraine could last if Trump pulled military assistance.
“Maybe we can hold out for six months or a year to give Europe another year to start producing whatever ammunition it can,” said Mykola Bieljeskov, a senior analyst at a charity that supplies drones to the Ukrainian military, as cited by Magyar Nemzet.
American weapons, especially advanced air defense systems, would be practically irreplaceable in the short term. Meanwhile, European leaders have been panicking, with emergency meetings held over the past week to plan how to continue supporting Ukraine in the war if the U.S. pulls out.
Only the United States produces Patriot air defense systems, which can shoot down Russian ballistic missiles. The lack of ATACMS long-range missiles would also be a blow, while Ukrainian forces could also lose access to the satellite internet provided by Elon Musk’s Starlink, which has so far been partly funded by the Pentagon.
The EU also reportedly presented its own minerals deal to officials in Kyiv. However, sources say the agreement between Ukraine and the U.S. could be finalized by the end of this week, with reports stating Trump has said Zelensky may be at the White House this Friday for a signing ceremony.
