Trump Claims Ukraine is Letting the US Go Deep – The Stakes Are Huge!

Former President Donald Trump has claimed that Ukraine is prepared to grant the United States access to rare earth minerals worth approximately $500 billion as a form of repayment for military aid. Speaking in a pre-Super Bowl interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Trump argued that securing something tangible in return for the U.S.’s financial contributions is necessary.

“They have tremendously valuable land in terms of rare earth [minerals], in terms of oil and gas, in terms of other things. I want to have our money secured, because we’re spending hundreds of billions of dollars [in Ukraine],” Trump said.

According to Trump, Washington’s support for Kyiv should not be unconditional. He emphasized that the aid provided to Ukraine, which he estimates surpasses $300 billion, far exceeds the contributions of other nations.

“They may make a deal. They may not make a deal. They may be Russian someday, or they may not be Russian someday. But we’re going to have all this money in [Ukraine] and I say, I want it back,” Trump stated.

Trump disclosed that he had directly informed Ukrainian officials of his demand for resources in exchange for U.S. support. “I told them that I want the equivalent of like $500 billion worth of rare earth [minerals], and they’ve essentially agreed to do that.”

The former president also dismissed the idea of continuing aid to Ukraine without compensation, calling it “stupid.” He argued that a transactional approach is necessary to justify the level of financial support Washington has provided. “I said to them, ‘We have to — we have to get something. We can’t continue to pay this money,’” Trump added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared open to discussions about a resource-sharing agreement. Speaking to Reuters on Friday, Zelensky hinted at a willingness to negotiate terms that could benefit both nations. “If we are talking about a deal, then let’s do a deal, we are only for it,” he said. “We need to stop [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and protect what we have — a very rich Dnipro region [in] central Ukraine.”

Ukraine possesses about 5% of the world’s mineral resources, making it a key player in global supplies of materials like titanium, uranium, iron, manganese, and lithium. These minerals, including rare earth elements, are essential for U.S. national security, particularly in defense and high-tech industries.

Trump also expressed optimism about a potential resolution to the ongoing conflict. “I think it’s going to happen,” he said about a possible peace deal between Ukraine and Russia. “I think we’ve made tremendous progress in the last week. We’re dealing with the Russians. We’re dealing with the Ukrainians. I think there’s going to be something.”

To further discussions, a U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance and Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, is set to meet with Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference later this week. Their goal will be to explore potential paths toward ending the nearly three-year-long war.

With Ukraine’s mineral wealth now part of the geopolitical equation, the conversation around U.S. aid could shift toward economic interests as well as security. Whether this proposed agreement materializes remains to be seen, but Trump’s latest comments suggest that Washington’s role in Ukraine’s future could come with a significant financial stake.