Trump: US Can Take ’Whatever We Want’ From Ukraine Minerals

By Staff, Agencies

US President Donald Trump has said the United States can take "pretty much whatever we want" from Ukraine's rare earth mineral deposits under a bilateral minerals agreement signed last year, arguing that the deal could ultimately generate returns exceeding the total value of US assistance to Kiev since 2022.

Speaking in an interview with Real America's Voice aired on Friday, Trump criticized former President Joe Biden for providing what he described as $300 billion in military aid to Ukraine without securing repayment.

Trump argued that European countries should have borne a greater share of the financial burden, adding that under his administration Washington has shifted more of the costs onto its European allies.

Referring to Ukraine's mineral resources, Trump said the country possesses significant reserves of rare earth elements and that the agreement gives the United States broad access to develop them.

"We have a contract signed with Ukraine having to do with rare earth. We can go in there at any time we want and take pretty much whatever we want. That was a pretty good deal," Trump said.

The remarks refer to the minerals agreement signed in Washington in April 2025, which established the US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund. Under the agreement, the United States receives preferential access to future Ukrainian projects involving minerals, oil, and natural gas, including lithium, titanium, graphite, and uranium.

While Ukraine retains formal ownership of its natural resources, the agreement provides for the country to receive 50% of profits generated from new extraction projects.

Trump has repeatedly presented the agreement as compensation for US military assistance to Ukraine, although his estimate that Washington has provided more than $300 billion in aid has been disputed. The US Special Inspector General for Operation Atlantic Resolve has estimated total US appropriations at approximately $195 billion.

Despite the agreement entering into force, implementation has reportedly been slowed by ongoing security risks related to the conflict, corruption concerns, limited geological data, infrastructure shortcomings, and recurring power disruptions.

The agreement followed months of difficult negotiations, including a public Oval Office confrontation in February 2025 between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during which Trump accused the Ukrainian leader of failing to show sufficient appreciation for American support.

Following the signing of the agreement, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Ukraine would effectively be paying for US military assistance with its natural resources, describing the arrangement as payment through the country's national wealth.