Trump may keep pursuing Ukrainian minerals deal, seeking ‘simplified’ agreement first and details later — Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration may continue pursuing a deal for access to Ukrainian rare earth minerals after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected a deal presented in Munich last week, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing familiar sources.
Two sources told the agency that Trump’s team might aim get a simplified deal in place quickly and negotiate details later.
One Trump advisor, asked if the U.S. would continue pushing for a minerals deal, told Reuters: “Absolutely, we need to get this guy back to reality,” referring to Zelensky.
Multiple sources said that Trump wants to signal to the American people that the U.S. is recouping the aid it has provided to Kyiv.
According to one source, Ukraine is willing to make a deal with Trump’s administration but does not want it to look as “rapacious” as the one proposed in Munich, which would have given the U.S. 50 percent of Ukraine’s critical minerals.
