Trump proposes sending Ukraine more military aid in exchange for rare earths

• President Trump suggested that Ukraine could trade its rare earth elements in exchange for continued U.S. military aid, linking these resources to future support. This proposal has faced criticism from Russia and mixed reactions from Ukraine.
• Ukrainian media indicated that the proposal might align with President Zelenskyy’s strategic plans, while German Chancellor Scholz criticized the idea.
• Russia also condemned the proposal, calling it commercializing military aid.

President Donald Trump proposed that Ukraine trade rare earth elements for additional U.S. military aid, linking these vital resources to continued support in its war against Russia. The idea has drawn criticism from the Kremlin, while Ukrainian media suggests it may align with Kyiv’s own strategic plans.

“We’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earths,” Trump said. “We’re putting in hundreds of billions of dollars. They have great rare earths. And I want security of the rare earths, and they’re willing to do it.”

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What does Trump’s proposal entail?

Speaking at the White House during the week of Feb. 3, Trump indicated that he wants some form of compensation for the nearly $300 billion the U.S. has provided to Ukraine in its ongoing war against Russia. The president suggested that Ukraine could leverage its rare earth elements as part of a deal to secure future aid.

Why are rare earth elements important?

Rare earths refer to a group of 17 elements essential for industries such as electronics, defense and renewable energy. China currently dominates global production, supplying about 70% of the market, while the U.S. has been working to reduce its dependence on Beijing for these critical materials.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz criticized Trump’s remarks, arguing that Ukraine will need these resources for post-war rebuilding efforts and calling the idea of trading rare earths for aid “very selfish, very self-centered.”

Is Ukraine on board with trading rare earths for military aid?

Ukrainian media outlets have reported that such a deal may have originated in Kyiv as part of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s broader “victory plan,” which involves economic and security arrangements with Western allies.

What happens next?

Meanwhile, Russia condemned Trump’s proposal, stating that it commercializes military assistance and arguing that the conflict would end sooner without U.S. involvement.

“If we call things as they are, this is a proposal to buy help — in other words, not to give it unconditionally, or for some other reasons, but specifically to provide it on a commercial basis,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. “It would be better of course for the assistance to not be provided at all, as that would contribute to the end of this conflict.”