U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested that Ukraine could eventually fall under Russian control, proposing that Ukraine grant access to its natural resources in exchange for U.S. aid.
Upon returning to the White House, Trump sparked a debate over the billions of dollars in future American assistance to Ukraine. In a Fox News interview on Monday, he mentioned telling Kyiv that he wanted access to the country’s rare resources valued at $500 billion. According to Trump, Ukrainian officials largely agreed with the proposal.
“Ukraine is a tremendously valuable country in terms of rare metals, oil, gas, and other resources. I want to secure our money because we are spending billions of dollars. Maybe they will accept the deal, maybe they won’t. Maybe one day they will become Russia, maybe not. But we will send all this money there, and I say I want it back,” Trump stated during the interview.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his willingness to discuss the potential agreement for the U.S. to access Ukraine’s rare metals.
