US could send troops to Ukraine to guard rare earth resources, NBC reports
The US may deploy military forces to Ukraine to protect rare earth mineral deposits, according to NBC News, citing four officials familiar with the matter.
In early February, Donald Trump expressed interest in acquiring $500 billion worth of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals in exchange for US military aid. Ukraine holds significant reserves, including beryllium, zirconium, and tantalum. In a Fox News interview, Trump said Kyiv had “essentially agreed” to the deal.
NBC sources report that the Trump administration offered Kyiv a proposal to grant the US 50% ownership in companies involved in rare earth extraction. In exchange, American troops could be stationed in Ukraine to safeguard these resources, contingent on an agreement with Russia to end the war. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessen handed the draft agreement to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv.
Officials told NBC News that rather than paying for the minerals, the deal would allow Ukraine to repay the US billions of dollars in military aid through ownership of the extracted metals.
Sources from The Washington Post confirmed that Zelenskyy refused to sign the draft deal at the Munich security conference, citing a lack of security guarantees. The Ukrainian president indicated that Ukraine would present its own proposal based on the Ukrainian constitution.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports that several European countries are working behind the scenes to send troops to Ukraine. European discussions intensified over the past year, driven by concerns that President Trump might strike a deal with Russia without involving European nations. The UK and France are said to be leading these talks, though details of the plan remain unclear. The size of the European contingent will depend on the terms of a potential peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
Read more:
- Ukraine declines US proposal for 50% ownership of rare earth minerals in exchange for aid without security guarantees
- Zelenskyy urges US allies to shield Ukraine’s trillion-dollar titanium, uranium resources
- Putin only seeks ceasefire to regroup forces, dodge sanctions
- As US refuses to defend Europe, Russia’s military budget now bigger than Europe’s altogether
You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this.
We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society.
A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support.
