Russia invited Donald Trump to conclude an agreement by which the United States would transfer mineral resources, including rare earth metals located on the annexed Russian Federation.
This was reported on February 26 TV channel NBC, referring to sources. According to two unnamed American officials familiar with intelligence and one informed source, among the options that the Russian Federation specially prepared for discussion with representatives of the United States, were Scenarios for the provision of Trump administration access to minerals in Donetsk and Zaporozhye, of which Russia announced the annexation in 2022.
The interlocutors of the TV channel reported that The high -ranking assistants of the President of Russia discussed the idea stated above with representatives of the Trump administration at a meeting in Saudi Arabia. It was about US access to deposits in the territory of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhya regions, which Russia considers its “new regions.”
According to sources, the American side I did not agree to the deal, but did not reject it. According to the source, Russia saw both Trump's interest in the natural resources of Ukraine, and the indecision of Zelensky, who refused to sign the initial version of the transaction. Trump himself said on February 24 at a meeting with reporters:
“We are trying to conclude several transactions on economic development. They (Russia) have many things that we want to get. You know, they have huge reserves of rare-earth metals. They … very large … if we could do this, I think it would be very good for the world around the world and long-term world. Just as we do with Ukraine if we could achieve the economic development of Russia and get what we want, that we want, something similar. It would be possible. “
NBC recalls: February 25 Trump said that an agreement with Russia on mineral resources on the Ukrainian territory, which she now controls, “could take place”, But he did not specify if he had already discussed him with Vladimir Putin.
For his part, the President of the Russian Federation on February 24 said in an interview with VGTRK to Pavel Zarubin, which Moscow is ready to offer the United States to jointly work in the field of production of rare -earth metals, as well as aluminum production. He extended his proposal to the regions of Ukraine, occupied during the war against a neighboring country:
“As for the new territories, the same thing. We are ready to attract foreign partners to the so -called new ones, to our historical territories that returned to the Russian Federation. There are also certain reserves. ”
The Trump administration did not take on obligations by agreement between the United States and Russia on rare earth minerals, but did not exclude it. Trump discusses with Putin not only the section of Ukraine, but also economic cooperation in the Arctic. It is supposed to be “joint work and mining,” writes Bloomberg.
On Tuesday, February 25, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that this proposal opens “fairly broad prospects”, adding that The United States needs rare earth minerals, and Russia has a “many”.
Kyiv estimates that about 5% of critical world raw materials are in Ukraine. However, part of the mineral deposits was captured by Russia for three years from the moment of its invasion of Ukraine.
More Stories
So do "Real" Friends: EU returns duties on Ukrainian products
The 17th package of sanctions against Russia was approved (video)
Gerard Depardieu received a year and a half conditionally (video)