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President Trump has announced that a meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to finalize a critical minerals deal will likely take place at the White House in the coming weeks.
Some shit you should know before you read: Roughly two weeks ago, President Trump demanded $500 billion worth of rare earth materials from Ukraine in return for the previous military aid the US has provided and as a condition for any future support. The proposed deal sought a 50% stake in Ukraine’s valuable natural resources, including aluminum, gallium, and titanium—critical minerals essential for advanced technology manufacturing and military applications. However, President Zelenskyy refused to sign the agreement, citing the lack of concrete security guarantees for Ukraine, which he deemed necessary given the ongoing conflict with Russia. This refusal angered Trump, leading to an escalation in his rhetoric against Zelenskyy, including questioning his leadership and downplaying his importance in peace negotiations.
What’s going on now: While speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, President Trump announced the possibility of a meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in the coming weeks to finalize a critical minerals deal. He alluded that the agreement would involve access to Ukraine’s rare earth materials, which are essential for advanced technology and military applications. Trump suggested that the deal would be beneficial for the US by helping to recoup military aid costs and securing valuable resources, while also potentially offering Ukraine enhanced security guarantees, creating an incentive for continued US support amid the ongoing war with Russia.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated that the negotiations were at “the 1-yard line,” signaling that the agreement is close to being finalized. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz also stated that Zelenskyy was expected to sign the deal imminently, stressing its strategic importance for US interests and framing it as part of broader peace negotiations.
This all comes as the Kyiv Post, citing sources within the negotiations, reported that the United States threatened to cut off Ukraine’s access to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet if Kyiv did not agree to the critical minerals deal. Starlink, which has been essential for Ukraine’s military communications and civilian infrastructure throughout the war, has approximately 42,000 terminals in use across the country.
Despite this, Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, publicly denied that Starlink’s continued operation was conditional on the minerals deal.
