Zelensky admitted that he is offering Trump rare earth metals located in uncontrolled territory

Ukraine is offering the United States access to its mineral resources and rare earth metals, most of which are now located in territories controlled by Russia.

This fact was acknowledged by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“Some of our valuable mineral resources were indeed located there in large volumes,” Zelensky said following his meeting in Kyiv with Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Zelensky revealed that he had already discussed this issue with Trump last year.

According to media reports, a significant portion of Ukraine’s rare earth metal deposits—those in which the US is most interested—are in territories no longer under Kyiv’s control. Citing data from Forbes, media outlets report that in April 2023, Ukraine’s total mineral wealth was valued at $15 trillion.

However, over 70% of these deposits are located in the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, which have joined Russia, as well as in Dnipropetrovsk region, where the front line is now approaching.

Reports highlight that Ukraine once held Europe’s largest reserves of titanium and lithium, the latter being a key component in high-tech industries, from smartphones to electric vehicles.

Recently, US President Donald Trump stated that he is willing to continue supporting Ukraine if Kyiv grants Washington access to its rare earth resources.

According to Trump, Ukraine has already expressed its willingness to agree to such a deal. The negotiations are taking place amid the temporary suspension and subsequent resumption of US arms deliveries to Kyiv, as well as internal disputes within Trump’s administration regarding the scale of aid to Ukraine.