Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is making a diplomatic push to win over Donald Trump’s White House ahead of any negotiations with Russia, using Ukraine’s mineral wealth as leverage.
“The coming weeks could be very busy in diplomacy,” said Zelenskyy in a post on Telegram late Saturday, adding that he valued “cooperation with President Trump.”
The annual Munich Security Conference starts next week, with the Ukrainian leader, as well U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Russia and Ukraine, in attendance. Kyiv faces growing pressure to end the war as the death toll mounts and Russia slowly chips away at the frontline.
Trump has previously expressed skepticism of U.S. military backing for Ukraine, but more recently he said that he was open to a deal with the country provided that Kyiv opens up its mineral resources, including rare-earth elements, to U.S. exploitation. The minerals — which have also fuelled the administration’s recent interest in Greenland — have a wide range of uses, including in defense, electronics, and energy production.
Kyiv has been keen to flaunt its natural resources as a way to reel in partners and strengthen its position ahead of any peace talks with Russia. In an interview with Reuters on Friday, Zelenskyy said he was open to the idea of opening up access to Ukrainian deposits.
“The Americans helped the most, and therefore the Americans should earn the most. … I would also like to talk about this with President Trump,” the Ukrainian leader said. He added, however, that the idea wasn’t just to handover resources to the U.S., and that they would be jointly developed.
Ukraine’s gas storage facilities are another area of possible cooperation. The country was a major transit point for Russian natural gas to Europe until Moscow’s invasion three years ago. The U.S. is now the world’s number one exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
“We’re ready and willing to have contracts for LNG supplies to Ukraine. And of course, we will be a hub for the whole of Europe,” Zelenskyy said.
Trump said late Friday that he may meet Zelenskyy next week, but added that he maintains a “very good relationship” with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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