Trump team proposes deploying U.S. troops to protect Ukraine’s rare earth mineral deposits

NBC News reported the information.

"Rather than pay for the minerals, the ownership agreement would be a way for Ukraine to reimburse the U.S. for the billions of dollars in weapons and support it has provided to Kyiv since the war began in February 2022," two American officials told the publication.

Finance Minister Scott Bessent presented President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with a proposal for U.S. ownership of half of Ukraine's rare earth minerals in a draft contract he brought to the meeting in Kyiv, eight official sources reported.

After the meeting, Bessent stated that the U.S.-Ukraine agreement on rare earth minerals reflects the president's goal, but he did not provide details on what the administration proposed.

According to sources, Zelenskyy refused to sign the document when Bessent presented it during the meeting, stating that he needed to study it and consult on it.

During his speech at the Munich Security Conference, Zelenskyy said that his lawyers would assess the document Bessent presented to him in Kyiv, offering advice and some changes. He referred to the proposal as a memorandum between the U.S. and Ukraine, not a security agreement.

Exchange of Ukraine's rare earth metals for U.S. aid

Earlier, Donald Trump stated that he wants to negotiate with Ukraine about exchanging rare earth elements for U.S. aid. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the American leader's proposal.

Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak suggested that the U.S. president made the statement for the American audience.

Lieutenant Colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Deputy Commander of the 3rd Assault Brigade, Maxim Zhorin, also shared his opinion. The military officer is convinced that it is important not to let "all the resources be extracted to zero."

On Tuesday, February 4, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy assured that Ukraine is open to American investments.

On February 12, Zelenskyy held a meeting in Kyiv with U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent: Ukraine received the first draft of a partnership agreement from the United States.

The United States may close the sky above the Western peacekeeping forces in Ukraine in exchange for rare earth minerals, reports The Times, citing British government officials.