Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly rejected a U.S. proposal granting access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, calling the document imbalanced and harmful to national interests. The deal, presented during Vice President JD Vance’s Munich Security Conference visit, sparked controversy for prioritizing American resource needs over Ukraine’s security demands.
‘It’s a colonial agreement and Zelenskyy cannot sign it,’declared a former senior Ukrainian official familiar with negotiations. Current U.S. incentives reportedly focus on extracting minerals like titanium and lithium – critical for aerospace and defense industries – as repayment for existing aid without concrete security commitments against Russian aggression.
The Biden administration’s offer faced sharp criticism from Kyiv for:
- Omitting plans to protect mining operations near active frontlines
- Failing to address long-term military support timelines
- Overlooking constitutional mandates reserving subsoil rights for Ukrainian citizens
White House NSC spokesman Brian Hughes countered:
‘Zelenskyy is being short-sighted about this strategic opportunity to bind our economies.’The Trump administration seeks to reduce reliance on Chinese minerals while recouping $113B+ in aid through resource partnerships.
Ukraine holds Europe’s largest untapped rare earth reserves, valued conservatively at $12T. However, 63% of deposits lie within 100 miles of conflict zones, raising operational risks. Security analysts warn unstable extraction conditions could enable Russian sabotage – a concern Zelenskyy emphasized during talks:
‘For me, the connection between security guarantees and investment is vital,’ he told AP. ‘Any deal must bring money and protection.’
Kyiv now prepares a counterproposal demanding NATO-grade defense systems and renewed funding commitments ahead of potential Ukraine-Russia negotiations. The stalemate reveals deepening fractures in U.S.-Ukraine relations as European leaders face exclusion from peace talks brokered by Trump’s envoy Gen. Keith Kellogg.