Mineral offer in exchange for military support helps win over White House on Ukraine

This week, President Donald Trump expressed interest in Ukraine's offer to supply rare minerals in exchange for military aid. The proposal, made by Zelensky to secure continued U.S. assistance in the conflict against Russia, appears to have received Trump’s approval for the first time.

He made these remarks in a press statement from the White House. The deal could involve various minerals, including lithium, titanium, and uranium. "We're looking to do a deal with Ukraine, where they're going to secure what we're giving them with their rare earths and other things," Trump said.

Regarding the potential deal, a senior Ukrainian official told the Washington Post that the Zelensky administration is "ready to sign documents on joint agreements" and emphasized that "having a U.S. strategic interest in Ukraine is a key component for our security in the future." 

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin's proposal for dialogue with Trump regarding the conflict remains uncertain. The Russian president has reiterated on several occasions, both before and after the presidential inauguration, that the Kremlin is open to reaching a consensus with Washington.

For now, however, it is Kiev that has gained an advantage in the diplomatic arena, with the potential minerals deal serving as a means to secure continued U.S. military aid, crucial to the war effort against Russian encroachment.

Since Trump's election victory, the fear of a reduction in military aid to Ukraine is a constant concern among various circles, including in Kiev, where there were some tensions during his last visit to the United States. 

These tensions were later resolved with a meeting between the two, although Donald Trump never made it clear that his support for Ukraine would be unconditional or on the same scale as that of the Biden administration.