Having called on the US to invest in Ukraine, why did President Zelensky "shake his head" on the rare earth deal?

On February 15, media outlets reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky refused to sign an agreement that would allow the United States access to the country's rare earth minerals.

Workers survey the Yeristovo and Poltava iron ore mines in Poltava region, Ukraine. (Source: Getty Images)

The information was released after US President Donald Trump announced in early February 2025 that he wanted Kiev to repay part of Washington's aid by providing Ukraine's natural resources.

Mr Zelensky’s country has great potential to become a global supplier of critical raw materials for defence, technology and renewable energy. It has the largest reserves of titanium and lithium in Europe, although it does not belong to the rare earth minerals group.

Not stopping there, Kiev also owns significant mines of beryllium, manganese, gallium, uranium, zirconium, graphite, apatite, fluorite and nickel.

In a post on social network X on February 14, Washington Post reporter Josh Rogin said that many lawmakers attending the Munich Security Conference "revealed" that the US Congressional delegation presented President Zelensky with a document, asking him to sign, in which the world's largest economy will have access to 50% of the Eastern European country's future mineral reserves.

However, President Zelensky politely declined the offer.

Reuters news agency also quoted anonymous members of the Ukrainian delegation attending the conference, confirming similar information.

The meeting between Mr. Zelensky and the group of US lawmakers lasted about 90 minutes.

According to these sources, President Zelensky felt he was being asked to sign an agreement that he had not had time to carefully review. Some sources also said that the proposal was unfair to Ukraine, as many details still needed to be worked out.

Earlier, the head of Ukraine called on US companies to invest in rare earths, calling them an "important economic spearhead". Mr. Zelensky stressed that the country would not "give away" its resources but proposed a mutually beneficial partnership to exploit them together.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tung-keu-goi-my-dau-tu-vao-ukraine-vi-sao-tong-thong-zelensky-lai-lac-dau-voi-thoa-thuan-dat-hiem-304452.html