Zelensky: No to Trump on ‘rare earths’, but open dialogue for peace

Ukrainian president rejects US demand on mineral resources, but confirms cooperation with the Trump administration to reach a peace deal in the war with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded negatively to the US request to obtain more than 50 per cent of Ukraine’s mineral resources. However, Zelensky maintains an open dialogue with Washington, trusting in a future peace agreement that could resolve the conflict with Russia.

In a post on X, Zelensky stated that he has started working with Donald Trump’s team, revealing that progress is already visible. ‘We have started working with President Trump’s team and we can already see that success is achievable,’ he said, emphasising the central role of the US in the search for peace.

After a conversation described as ‘positive’ with Trump, and meetings with Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Zelensky expects General Keith Kellogg to visit Ukraine soon to assess the situation on the ground and reinforce US peace proposals.

On the mineral resources front, known as ‘rare earths’, the first US request was rejected. Kiev, however, is working on a new protocol that could grant Washington preferential access to Ukrainian resources, but only if accompanied by adequate security guarantees for Ukraine. Zelensky emphasised that the security proposals are not yet sufficient at the moment.

The Ukrainian president also warned against further attempts by Russia to prolong the conflict: ‘Of course, we will see further attempts by Putin to deceive the world and prolong the war. True peace is possible, and we must achieve it together: Ukraine, the US and Europe. This is about our shared security.’

Meanwhile, senior US officials, including Marco Rubio, are travelling to Saudi Arabia for talks with Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in the hope of ending the conflict.

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