(AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Kyiv wants its allies to invest in its mineral resources after US President Donald Trump asked for “rare earths” in exchange for military aid.
“We have mineral resources. This does not mean that we give them away to anyone, even to strategic partners,” Zelensky posted on social media, quoting answers he had given in an interview with Reuters news agency. “It is about partnership. Put your money in. Invest. Let’s develop this together and make money,” Zelensky said.
Trump said this week the United States was “looking to do a deal with Ukraine, where they’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earths and other things.” Quoting his Reuters interview, Zelensky stated that Ukraine’s mineral wealth was worth “trillions of dollars,” citing its reserves of titanium and uranium, which he described as the largest in Europe.
He emphasized that it is very important for Ukraine to “keep all this” because these resources represent “security guarantees,” adding that he also did not want them to fall into Russia’s hands. Trump’s call for a deal involving rare earths prompted criticism from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday. “We are helping (Ukraine) without asking to be paid in return. This should be everyone’s position,” he told the RND media group.
The US president said on Friday he would “probably” meet Zelensky next week in a location outside Ukraine. Zelensky wrote on X on Friday that Ukraine and the US were “planning meetings and talks” and “working out the details,” without confirming there would be talks next week.
Trump has urged both Moscow and Kyiv to negotiate an end to the war, which is nearing a third year with Russia making steady advances in east Ukraine. The US leader has mentioned that he is ready to meet Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, but no talks have been confirmed.
© 2024 AFP
