The key details of the rare mineral agreement between the United States and Ukraine remain largely unreleased. Here is what’s known so far about the deal that could be signed by presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump on Friday in Washington.
Initial compensation demand dropped
Initially, Trump had demanded compensation in the range of $500 billion (€476.5 billion) for the aid the US had provided under the Biden administration since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
According to the Kiel Institute, a German economic research body, that would be around four times the amount the US had sent to Ukraine — estimated at around $120 billion (€114.3 billion).
However, Ukrainian officials anonymously told the AFO news agency that demand had been dropped from the most recent draft document.
Security guarantees a Ukrainian requirement
Zelenskyy had previously raised the idea of exchanging access to Ukrainian natural resources for security commitments in October 2024.
Ukraine remains steadfast that any deal must include long-term and robust security guarantees that would deter Russia from attacking again.
The text of the agreement on minerals may yet include a reference to Ukrainian security — possibly without concrete guarantees. Discussions on this point are reportedly still underway, according to Reuters news agency.
US investment required to explore undeveloped deposits
Ukraine has 20% of the world’s estimated resources of graphite, according to France’s Bureau of Geological and Mining Research.
The country also says it “possesses one of the largest lithium deposits in Europe.”
Kyiv has said “rare earth metals are known to exist in six deposits” and that an investment of $300 million would be needed to develop a deposit at Novopoltavske, which it claimed was one of the world’s largest deposits.
However, not all Ukraine’s natural resources are easily exploitable and some lie in territory occupied by Russia.
