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'Selfish' — Scholz blasts Trump's aid-for-rare earths Ukraine plan

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'Selfish' — Scholz blasts Trump's aid-for-rare earths Ukraine plan
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during a conference following a Special European Council summit in Brussels, Belgium, on April 18, 2024. (Simon Wohlfahrt/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to tie military aid for Ukraine to access to the country's rare earth resources, calling it "very selfish and self-centered," Spiegel reported on Feb. 4.

Speaking after an informal meeting of European leaders in Brussels, Scholz reportedly stressed that Ukraine should first be helped to "get back on its feet" and that its resources should be used for reconstruction after the war.

This comes as Trump told reporters on Feb. 3 that he was seeking a deal where Ukraine would "secure what we're giving them with their rare earths and other things," though he did not specify which materials Washington is targeting.

A source in the Presidential Office told the Kyiv Independent that sharing Ukrainian resources with allies is already part of President Volodymyr Zelensky's "victory plan," which has been presented to foreign leaders, including Trump.

Trump's remarks come amid uncertainty over the future of the U.S. aid to Ukraine.

Trump wants Ukraine’s ‘rare earths’ — What critical minerals does it actually have?
President Donald Trump came out on Feb. 3 saying he was looking to cut a deal with Ukraine by giving the war-torn country weapons and aid in return for its “rare earths and other things.” “We’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine, where they’re going to secure what we’re
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The U.S. has provided $65.9 billion in military aid to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, with assistance remaining unaffected by the current aid freeze, Zelensky confirmed on Jan. 25. Non-military programs run by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have lost funding under the new administration.

USAID has provided Ukraine with $2.6 billion in humanitarian aid, $5 billion in development assistance, and over $30 billion in direct budgetary support. In response to the funding cuts, Ukraine's parliamentary committee on humanitarian and information policy has begun consultations with European partners to temporarily replace U.S. funding.

Under Scholz's leadership, Germany has become Ukraine's second-largest military donor after the U.S. However, the chancellor has resisted providing Taurus long-range cruise missiles, citing escalation concerns.

Scholz has also blocked the proposed additional security assistance for Ukraine worth 3 billion ($3.09 billion) euros unless it is covered by additional government borrowing.

The plan, backed by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, included three additional Iris-T air defense batteries, 10 howitzers, and more artillery ammunition.

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“We made a lot of progress on Russia-Ukraine,” U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly said after signing the decree.
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Tim Zadorozhnyy

News Editor

Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the U.S., South Korea, and Japan of military buildups around North Korea. "We warn against exploiting these ties to build alliances directed against anyone, including North Korea and, of course, Russia."

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