Zelenskiy responds, “Let’s do a deal,” giving Trump a mining partnership in exchange for security

In an effort to capitalize on Donald Trump’s propensity for a deal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy examined a previously classified map showing extensive rare earth and other vital mineral reserves in an interview with Reuters on Friday.

As his administration pushes for a swift conclusion to Ukraine’s conflict with Russia, the U.S. president stated Monday that he wants Ukraine to provide the U.S. with rare earths and other minerals in exchange for financial help for its war effort.

As part of any resolution, Zelenskiy emphasized that Ukraine must get security assurances from its partners. “If we are talking about a deal, then let’s do a deal, we are only for it,” he added.

Last October, Ukraine proposed allowing friends to invest in its vital minerals as part of a “victory plan” aimed at pressuring Moscow to negotiate and putting Ukraine in the best possible position.

Russian occupation, according to Zelenskiy, covers less than 20% of Ukraine’s natural resources, including almost half of its rare earth reserves.

The production of consumer electronics, electric motors, and high-performance magnets depends on rare earths; Zelenskiy said that Moscow may give such resources to its friends, Iran and North Korea, who are also declared foes of the United States.

“We need to stop Putin and protect what we have – a very rich Dnipro region, central Ukraine,” he added.

While Kyiv’s considerably smaller army struggles with a manpower deficit and worries about future foreign weapons supply, Russian troops have been gaining ground in the east for months, investing massive resources in an unrelenting attack.

In the strongly fortified president’s office in Kyiv, Zelenskiy unfolded a map on a table that displayed a wide expanse of territory in the east designated as possessing rare earths, along with other mineral resources. It appeared that around half of it was on Russia’s side of the present frontlines.

He said that Ukraine has the greatest amounts of uranium, which is utilized in nuclear energy and weaponry, and titanium, which is necessary for the space and aviation industries.

Several titanium reserves were identified in northwest Ukraine, which is remote from the conflict.

Ukraine’s foreign policy strategy has quickly been adjusted to conform to the transactional worldview outlined by the country’s most significant friend, the new White House occupant.

But Zelenskiy made it clear that Kyiv was providing a win-win collaboration to develop its resources together rather than “giving them away”:

Because they contributed the most, Americans ought to receive the highest compensation. Furthermore, they will prioritize this, as they ought to. I would also like to speak with President Trump about this.

He said that geological surveys conducted during the Soviet era and brought back to Moscow after Kyiv attained independence in 1991 accurately identified Ukraine’s vital resources.

Also, Zelenskiy claimed the White House and Kyiv were talking about storing U.S. liquefied natural gas in Ukraine’s extensive subterranean gas storage facilities.

“The Trump administration is really interested in it, I know that… Contracts to supply Ukraine with LNG are something we are prepared and eager to do. We will undoubtedly serve as a center for all of Europe,” he added.

Trump and Zelenskiy want to meet before US-Russian talks.

for an uncertain point in the almost three-year-old conflict, representatives from dozens of Western nations will gather for the Munich Security Conference, which takes place from February 14–16.

In addition to Trump’s special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, Zelenskiy announced he would be attending the event.

In order to avoid what the Ukrainian leader described as “a dialogue about Ukraine without Ukraine,” he stated that he had to see Trump face-to-face before the U.S. president meets Russian President Vladimir Putin.

On Friday, Trump stated that he anticipated speaking with Zelenskiy the next week. Zelenskiy stated that he would make it a top priority to include Ukraine’s demand for security assurances in any agreement in order to stop Russia from conducting another invasion in the future.

But generally, before starting negotiations with Moscow, the West needed to decide on a broad policy.

Michael Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser, and Kellogg already had frequent communication with his staff, he claimed.

“Every day we have contacts, we talk about general things, but the specifics will come a little later,” stated the man.

Trump’s peace initiative coincides with the threat posed by Russian soldiers marching on Pokrovsk, a vital Ukrainian supply hub.

Zelenskiy initially acknowledged on the battlefield that his forces had begun a fresh onslaught on Thursday, pushing 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) farther into the Kursk area of Russia.

Russia said that a Ukrainian offensive in the region that day had been repulsed.

Zelenskiy stated that after a few weeks of rest, hundreds of North Korean soldiers fighting with Russia had recently resumed active battle against Kyiv’s army in Kursk.

In order to alleviate a shortfall of personnel, the government plans to offer attractive recruiting contracts next week to lure young men between the ages of 18 and 24—who are not yet of conscription age—into the military. How many males were anticipated to join up was not disclosed by Zelenskiy.