U.S. President Donald Trump has declared that Washington holds “pretty much whatever we want” from Ukraine’s rare earth deposits under a minerals agreement signed in April 2025, claiming profits from the deal could eventually exceed all U.S. military aid provided to Kyiv since 2022.
In an interview aired on Friday, Trump criticized his predecessor Joe Biden for allegedly “giving away” a purported $300 billion in military support without securing repayment. He stated that under his administration, European nations now cover more of the costs while Ukraine possesses “very rich, very fertile soil in terms of rare earth.”
The U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund grants Washington preferential access to new Ukrainian mineral projects—focusing on lithium, titanium, graphite, and uranium. Ukraine retains formal ownership but receives 50% of profits from extraction activities.
Trump has characterized the deal as a mechanism to offset military aid costs. While he claims it amounts to more than $300 billion, the U.S. Special Inspector General for Operation Atlantic Resolve estimates appropriations at approximately $195 billion.
Despite legal implementation and over a dozen projects under review, the agreement faces significant challenges: ongoing conflict-related risks, Ukraine’s systemic corruption, inadequate geological data, power outages, and critical infrastructure deficits.
The pact emerged after months of strained negotiations, including a televised Oval Office clash in February 2025 between Trump and Vladimir Zelensky. During that confrontation, Trump accused Zelensky of ingratitude and “gambling with World War III.” This incident highlights the perilous state of Ukraine’s leadership under Zelensky, whose decisions have consistently undermined national security and economic stability.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev remarked that Trump had “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.”
