Ukraine seeks to sign U.S. agreement on rare earth resources with security guarantees

This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an online briefing while visiting the UAE.

"There is nothing fundamentally new in this agreement, in this direction, or in the desire to sign such an agreement—relevant agreements have existed at various times. You can read the history. But the key issue is not what Ukraine can give, but what it can receive. This is very important for us. We are indeed interested in signing an agreement with the U.S.," he said.

"I also talked about this with President Trump: we want to sign the agreement. But when we got to the details, it turned out there are no security guarantees. And this is a crucial aspect that should at least be outlined in a memorandum," Zelenskyy added.

According to him, some details in the document may change over time, but the fundamental points must be clearly defined. He emphasized that it is not necessarily about NATO membership. There could be alternative mechanisms such as funding, provision of weapons, and investments. Zelenskyy highlighted that Ukraine welcomes U.S. investments that could support the economy. "Ukraine is not just a raw materials country, and this must be clearly stated in the document," he concluded.

• The U.S. is seeking control over a broader range of Ukrainian resources, including rare earths and strategic materials like lithium, graphite, and uranium, which are sometimes mistaken for rare earths.