Ukraine’s allies in DC advise Zelenskyy: Take the rare earths deal to mend ties with Trump

Ukraine allies in Washington believe there’s a way for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to mend his relationship with President Donald Trump, but it depends on accepting a US-proposed deal for rare earth minerals that Kyiv has so far rejected.

According to a Politico report, insiders from the administration suggest that Trump’s harsh criticism of Ukraine — which has surprised European leaders and pleased Russia — isn’t a shift toward Russia but instead reflects frustration over Ukraine’s reaction to US attempts to negotiate access to its abundant rare earth mineral resources for American investment.

“They had to learn the hard way that criticising Trump publicly is just going to backfire in a big way,” Politico quoted one Republican advising top administration officials on Ukraine policy.

“There’s a small but loud wing of the party who are very anti-Ukraine, but many inside who are still pro-Ukraine. Bashing Trump only adds fuel to the side against you,” he added.

In Kyiv, Trump’s tough stance has sparked anger and disbelief, despite Ukraine initially proposing a rare earths deal to his administration. While the full details of Trump’s proposal are still unknown, Ukraine appears dissatisfied with the insufficient security guarantees.

Keith Kellogg, Trump’s envoy for Ukraine peace talks, is in Kyiv this week and met with Zelenskyy on Thursday.

A spokesperson for Kellogg has yet to comment on whether they discussed reviving the deal, reported Politico.

But after the meeting, Zelenskyy appeared to make an overture, saying, “Ukraine is ready for a strong, effective investment and security agreement with the president of the United States. We have proposed the fastest and most constructive way to achieve results. Our team is ready to work 24/7.”

He, however, didn’t explicitly mention rare earths in his statement.

According to Politico, citing a US official involved in the talks, Kellogg spoke with Trump prior to his Kyiv visit, though details of their conversation were not disclosed.

Several US officials and Republicans in contact with the Trump team downplayed the recent exchanges as typical of Trump’s bold negotiating style. However, this approach seems to be undermining US credibility with Nato allies in Europe, added the report.

Insiders suggest that Ukraine needs to act swiftly to finalise the rare earths deal proposed by Trump.

This deal would grant American companies 50% ownership of Ukraine’s strategically important rare earth mineral deposits, potentially worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

Yehor Cherniev, a Ukrainian lawmaker from Zelenskyy’s People’s party who leads Ukraine’s delegation to the Nato parliamentary assembly, said Kyiv is still open to an agreement “but the agreement must be fair and bring benefits to Ukraine — security guarantees and significant military assistance.”

“We have been a loyal friend and ally of the US for many years, and the attitude toward us as a colony or an enemy on whom reparations are imposed is offensive and incomprehensible to us,” said Cherniev.

Ukrainians and other Nato allies have consistently argued that security guarantees are not a form of charity, they are essential for safeguarding the Western alliance against potential Russian attacks on Nato following Ukraine.

Security is also necessary for investment, said Alina Polyakova, head of the Center for European Policy Analysis think tank, which engages frequently with senior Ukrainian officials

“They need a secure place to do business for this deal to happen,” Politico quoted Polyakova as saying.

“You can’t have companies to invest and set up very expensive mining operations and exploration operations if they think they’re going to get hit by a Russian missile,” she added.

Still, there’s recognition in Ukraine that the rare earths deal may be the only avenue Ukraine has to secure continued US support from Trump, Polyakova said.

“Ukrainians are trying to appeal to a very transactional president,” she said.

Pro-Ukraine Republicans are endorsing the plan as a way to align the MAGA movement with investing in Ukraine’s long-term security for economic benefits to Americans. However, critics, including three European officials speaking anonymously, view it as a form of blackmail against an ally in a vulnerable position.

Trump seeks the deal as compensation for the billions in aid already provided, while Ukrainians want firm guarantees to prevent Russia from regrouping for future attacks. If Nato membership isn’t included, they believe additional military aid should be.

So far, Trump hasn’t made a clear demand to Russia, which has angered Ukrainian and European officials. Zelenskyy previously rejected the proposal from Trump’s team, stating it “is not ready to protect us and our interests.”

National security adviser Mike Waltz remarked on Fox News that a co-investment deal would offer “the best security guarantee they could hope for, far beyond another pallet of ammunition.”

With inputs from agencies