Trump Administration Pressures Zelensky to Trade Rare Earth Minerals for U.S. Support

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Alexis N. Crockett
February 22, 2025
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7 minutes read

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. diplomat Gen. Keith Kellogg on Thursday to discuss potential pathways to ending the three-year-long war with Russia amid growing tensions with President Donald Trump.

The high-level meeting followed a heated exchange between Zelensky and Trump on Wednesday, as well as Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s controversial meeting with his Russian counterpart in Riyadh—held without a Ukrainian representative present.

CNN’s Alayna Treene caught up with Trump’s national security advisor Michael Waltz outside the White House to inquire about the primary message Kellogg needed to convey to Zelensky. “Let’s tone down the rhetoric and sign the economic opportunity—sign the deal,” Waltz responded. Treene pressed further, asking if Kellogg’s directive was to push for the deal’s signing.

“Well, he’s out there talking to him about a number of things, but I think that would be a tremendous step forward,” Waltz said. The U.S. has been urging Zelensky to agree to a deal granting America a percentage of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals—including lithium, graphite, and uranium.

Treene later reported to anchor Kate Bolduan that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had recently traveled to Kyiv in an attempt to persuade Zelensky to sign the agreement. “Zelensky said yesterday that he had rejected that deal because it was asking for 50% of the rare earth minerals, the proceeds from that,” Treene explained.

“He said that was a nonstarter and not in Ukraine’s best interest, but that he would continue talking about this.” She emphasized the significance of the deal, noting that Trump has long been skeptical of the U.S. financial aid sent to Ukraine.

“We’ve heard him even yesterday when he gave that speech in Miami,” Treene said. “Trump brought this up, saying that he wants to continue pushing for this. He wants to essentially get something out of this deal that the United States has had in providing Ukraine with funding.”

As negotiations continue, the rare earth mineral deal remains a crucial component of U.S.-Ukraine relations, shaping the future of both economic cooperation and diplomatic strategy in the ongoing conflict.