Ukrainian authorities postponed signing an agreement with the United States on processing and extracting rare earth minerals, in order to let U.S. President-elect Donald Trump claim credit for the deal when he takes office, the New York Times (NYT) reported on Dec. 14.
Trump begins his second presidential term on Jan. 20, 2025. He has promised to make a quick end to Russia's war against Ukraine, sparking fears in Kyiv that Washington will withdraw military aid when Trump returns to the White House.
In a bid to secure Trump's support ahead of the inauguration, the Ukrainian government has appealed to Trump's ego and reputation as a businessman, the New York Times reported. One attempt involved delaying a significant minerals deal.
Ukraine, home to large deposits of critical minerals, including cobalt, graphite, and lithium, planned to sign the deal with U.S. President Joe Biden. U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal announced plans for the deal in August 2024 after their visit to Kyiv.
Ukrainian authorities then twice delayed signing the agreement, the NYT said, citing officials on both sides of the negotiations. The delays offer the opportunity for the Trump administration to claim an early victory at the start of his term.
"This war is about money," Graham told Fox News in November.
"So Donald Trump's going to do a deal to get our money back, to enrich ourselves with rare earth minerals. A good deal for Ukraine and us, and he’s going to bring peace."
Trump has repeatedly criticized the level of support the Biden administration provided to Ukraine and signaled Kyiv should brace for reduced assistance once his term begins. In a Dec. 12 interview, Trump said he would not "abandon" Ukraine.
"I want to reach an agreement, and the only way you're going to reach an agreement is not to abandon," he said.
Trump's comments came a few days after his first in-person meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky since the U.S. presidential election. Zelensky praised Trump during the meeting, telling him he was the only one Russian President Vladimir Putin feared.
"I told President Trump that Putin fears only him and, perhaps, China," Zelensky said on X.
Following his meeting with Zelensky, Trump said the Ukrainian president appeared ready "to make a deal and stop the madness" and that Putin should do the same after incurring staggering losses in Ukraine.
Francis Farrell
