Trump Pressures Ukraine for Rare Minerals in Exchange for Aid—Is It Diplomacy or Extortion?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky must return to the negotiating table and strike a deal on US access to Ukraine's critical minerals, White House national security adviser Mike Waltz has said.

Trump administration wants 50% ownership of the country's rare earth minerals

On Wednesday, Zelensky rejected US demands for a share of its rare earth minerals—a "deal" Trump argued was justified given the amount of military aid the US has provided to Ukraine during its war with Russia.

The comments, made at a White House briefing on Thursday, overshadowed a meeting in Kyiv between Zelensky and Keith Kellogg, the US chief envoy to Ukraine.

Waltz said the White House was "very frustrated" with Zelensky after he made "unacceptable" remarks about US President Donald Trump earlier this week.

Ukraine holds vast deposits of critical elements and minerals, including lithium and titanium, as well as significant reserves of coal, gas, oil, and uranium—resources valued at billions of dollars.

Earlier on Thursday, Waltz suggested that US access to these rare minerals could be exchanged in return for aid—or even as compensation for the support the US has already provided. "We presented the Ukrainians with an incredible and historic opportunity," he said, adding that it would be "sustainable" and the "best" security guarantee Ukraine could hope for.

But Zelensky refused the offer, stating: "I can't sell our state."

Trump's administration has been pushing aggressively for access to Ukraine’s rare minerals, with reports indicating that US officials are seeking exclusive extraction rights. While Trump maintains that the move would help "both countries," critics argue that it amounts to leveraging military aid to pressure Ukraine into handing over its resources.

Waltz’s remarks at the White House briefing came shortly after Zelensky’s meeting with Kellogg in Kyiv. Following the meeting, Zelensky announced he was ready to discuss an "investment and security agreement" with the US to end the war.

The meeting, which Zelensky described as "productive," seemed more like an uneasy diplomatic exchange. Kellogg, who was expected to deliver key messages from Washington, refused to hold a press conference, with Ukrainian sources suggesting he had been "sidelined" by the White House.

In a post on X, Zelensky said he and the US special envoy had a "detailed conversation about the battlefield situation, how to return our prisoners of war, and effective security guarantees."

He added: "Ukraine is ready for a strong, effective investment and security agreement with the president of the United States."

Later on Thursday, Zelensky said he had spoken to the leaders of Canada, Finland, Norway, and South Africa. "Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine," he wrote in one post.

Kellogg's reluctance to speak publicly comes amid rising tensions between Trump and Zelensky. Trump recently referred to the Ukrainian president as a "dictator without elections" and even blamed him for provoking Russia’s invasion.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that the US is refusing to recognize a UN resolution labeling Moscow as the aggressor while reaffirming Ukraine's territorial integrity. This has raised concerns in Kyiv, particularly as senior Russian and American officials continue backchannel negotiations without Ukraine’s direct involvement.

Earlier this week, Zelensky was excluded from talks between senior Russian and American officials in Saudi Arabia, where the possibility of ending the conflict was discussed. Trump, who has been in office for one month, believes US involvement in the war is not in America's interest. In a radical departure from previous US foreign policy, he has chosen to negotiate directly with Russia to expedite a resolution.

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emerged from more than four hours of discussions with Russian diplomats in Riyadh, stating that both sides had agreed to take "first steps" toward formal negotiations.

Following the Middle East talks, Trump doubled down on his claims that Zelensky had "started" the war with Russia, prompting the Ukrainian leader to accuse the US president of "living in a disinformation space" controlled by Moscow.

Trump responded by labeling Zelensky a "dictator" and claiming he had low approval ratings among the Ukrainian electorate.

Looking ahead, Ukraine faces an unsettling prospect: Russia-US negotiations continuing without Kyiv at the table.

"Nothing is off the negotiating table," said US Vice-President JD Vance.

The problem for Ukraine is that it isn’t even sitting at it.

With Trump now tying military aid to economic deals over Ukraine’s resources, the question remains: Is this a strategic negotiation, or does it amount to extortion?