Trump says US will sign Ukraine minerals and natural resources deal

21/3/2025 6:14

President Donald Trump

said on Thursday the United States will sign a minerals and

natural resources deal with Ukraine shortly and that his efforts

to achieve a peace deal for the country were going "pretty well"

after his talks this week with the Russian and Ukrainian

leaders.



Trump made the comments at a White House event after signing

an order to increase U.S. production of critical minerals.



"We're also signing agreements in various locations to

unlock rare earths and minerals and lots of other things all

over the world," he said.



"But in particular Ukraine, we're doing very well with

regard to Ukraine and Russia. And one of the things we are doing

is signing a deal very shortly with respect to rare earths with

Ukraine."



Trump referred to his discussions this week with both

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President

Volodymyr Zelenskiy aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, which

Russia invaded in 2022.



"We would love to see that come to an end, and I think we're

doing pretty well in that regard," Trump said.



"So hopefully we’d save thousands of people a week from

dying. That's what it's all about. They're dying so

unnecessarily, and I believe we'll get it done. We'll see what

happens, but I believe we'll get it done."



Ukraine and the U.S. said this month they had agreed to

conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for

developing Ukraine's critical mineral resources, which Trump

sees as a means to pay back the United States for its assistance

to Kyiv.



Efforts to seal the deal stumbled after a disastrous White

House meeting between Trump and Zelenskiy at the end of last

month.