President Trump indicated on Monday that he wants a deal for rare earth elements and other items from Ukraine in exchange for continued military aid in the nation’s war against Russia.
“We’re handing them money hand over fist. We’re giving them equipment,” Trump said Monday.
“We’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine, where they’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earth and other things,” he told reporters in the Oval Office.
“I want to have security of rare earth,” he added, appearing to refer to rare earth elements, which refers to a specific group of materials that are only deposited in relatively small quantities and can be used in a variety of applications including electronics, healthcare and batteries.
It’s not clear whether Trump’s desired deal would refer only to the elements that are considered rare earths, or if he is also interested in minerals like lithium and titanium, of which Ukraine has a significant supply.
In Ukraine’s existing “Victory Plan,” the country said it would work to supply its strategic partners with “natural resources and critical metals worth trillions of U.S. dollars” including uranium, titanium, lithium and graphite.
Ukraine may not be the only foreign supplier in Trump’s sights. Mike Waltz, who Trump has tapped as national security adviser, has said that Trump’s quest for Greenland is about minerals and other natural resources.
Alex Gangitano and Laura Kelly contributed.
