Trump: US Gained 'Share of Ukrainian Land' Through Mineral Resource Agreements

ANKARA, July 8. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump has stated that the United States effectively received a share of Ukrainian land after signing mineral resource agreements with Kiev. He outlined this position during a meeting with Vladimir Zelensky.

Discussing the possibility of Ukraine's reconstruction, Trump expressed confidence that the country has "tremendous potential."

"We have a little stake in that country now, because we have some land in that country, but we have minerals," the American leader said describing Ukrainian lands as "the best land anywhere in the world for rare earth."

"I look forward to taking advantage of it at the right time," he said.

On April 30, 2025, the United States and Ukraine signed a mineral resources agreement. Many media outlets and members of the Verkhovna Rada expressed dissatisfaction with the terms of the deal, noting that the document meant Kiev would lose part of its economic sovereignty and lacked the security guarantees widely discussed by Vladimir Zelensky's office. Furthermore, parliamentarians were outraged that two additional documents mentioned in the main agreement were not presented to the Rada. Nevertheless, on May 8 of that year, the Verkhovna Rada ratified the agreement with the United States. The deal, in particular, established a bilateral investment fund, into which Kiev will contribute 50% of all revenues from new rents and new mineral extraction licenses in new areas. On September 17, the United States made its first contribution of $75 million to the fund.

In early 2026, the US President expressed confidence that, thanks to the mineral resources agreement, Washington would be able to recoup all funds spent on supporting Kyiv and generate even greater revenues.