US and Ukraine Finalize Rare Earth Minerals Agreement

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the global economy and, with it, strategic balances. At the heart of this transformation is a major challenge for the United States: securing a stable and independent supply of rare earths, these minerals essential for the manufacture of advanced technologies.But today, China dominates this market, controlling about 70% of world production and 90% of refining capacity.

The 3 biggest things to know about a potential U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal

Ukraine’s trove of rare earths and other critical minerals is firmly in the spotlight ahead of a contentious deal that would include U.S. access to the war-torn nation’s valuable natural resources.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (February 26) that he and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky will sign an agreement that will allow the US to have significant rights in Kyiv's rich rare earth minerals to cover the costs of Washington supplying weapons to Ukraine to counter Russia's three-year war of aggression.

Ukraine and US Hatch a Mineral Deal with a Rare Problem

US and Ukrainian officials said Wednesday that they struck a deal to share revenue from the Eastern European country’s resources, including mineral reserves, oil and gas. The pact will also grant the US access to the country’s deposits of the 17 so-called rare earth elements, which are crucial to technology ranging from lasers to wind turbines and electric vehicles. There’s just one hitch: Those deposits may be so rare in Ukraine that they don’t…

Why the US-Ukraine minerals deal changed

Ian Bremmer's Quick Take: A Quick Take on Ukraine, the United States and Ukraine. Donald Trump and Zelensky now have a preliminary agreement on a critical minerals deal. Remember this is the deal that originally President Trump had the secretary of treasury show up in Kyiv, and say, "You got to sign this right now in the meeting." Zelensky was unhappy, and said it was a colonial deal, it was exploitative. And Trump got angry and said Zelensky's …

Ukraine does not receive detailed security guarantees from Donald Trump, but the new agreement unequivocally points to Russia as the cause of the war. At the same time, it emphasizes Ukraine's status as a free and sovereign country, as well as the country's partnership with the United States.