Ukraine holds huge deposits of critical elements and minerals, from lithium to titanium, which are vital to manufacturing modern technologies.
It also has vast coal reserves, as well as oil, gas and uranium, but much of this is in territories under Russian control.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been dangling allowing the U.S. to develop his country's natural resources as a tactic to keep Trump on side.
“The Americans helped the most, and therefore the Americans should earn the most,” Zelenskyy said Friday in an interview with Reuters.
“I would also like to talk about this with President Trump.”.
Trump, who hopes to beat China in the global race for resources, has voiced his desire to exploit Ukraine’s mineral abundance before.
Earlier this month, he told reporters in the Oval Office, “We’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earths and other things.”. »
