Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told Donald Trump “let’s do a deal” as he offered the US a partnership over Ukraine’s stores of rare earth and minerals.
Earlier this week, Mr Trump said he wanted Ukraine to supply the US with critical resources in exchange for financial support in its war with Russia.
In an interview with Reuters on Friday, Mr Zelenskyy said: “If we are talking about a deal, then let’s do a deal, we are only for it.”
While emphasising that Kyiv was not proposing “giving away” its resources, he said he was open to a mutually beneficial partnership to develop them jointly.
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Rare earths are a group of 17 metals that are vital in the production of high-performance magnets, electric motors and consumer electronics.
Mr Zelenskyy touted the country’s reserves of titanium and uranium as Europe’s largest.
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According to the World Economic Forum, Ukraine also has the potential to become a key supplier of lithium, beryllium, manganese, gallium, zirconium, graphite, apatite, fluorite and nickel.
Showing a map of Ukraine’s mineral deposits, he then said Russia currently has control of less than 20% of the country’s mineral resources – but that includes about half its rare earth deposits.
“Putin is not just grabbing them [minerals] along with the land, he is already thinking about how to get other partners in his alliance – North Korea, Iran… and he will give them access,” Mr Zelenskyy said.
“This is very rich land. This does not mean that we are giving it away to anyone, even to strategic partners. We are talking about partnership…
“Let’s develop this together, make money, and most importantly, it’s about the security of the Western world.”
The Ukrainian president added that Kyiv and the White House were discussing the idea of using the country’s underground gas storage sites to store American liquefied natural gas, calling it “very interesting”.
He also said he would like to discuss the US having priority when it came to rebuilding Ukraine, saying it would amount to “a lot of money for business”.
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‘Not accepting Russia’s ultimatums’
He also insisted that Mr Trump must meet with him before he meets with the Russian president, “otherwise it will look like a dialogue about Ukraine without Ukraine”.
He added: “I don’t know what compromises can be discussed at the negotiating table, we have not reached that point…
“It is important for people to understand that Ukraine is negotiating, not accepting ultimatums from Russia.”
He also stressed Ukraine’s need for security guarantees from its allies as part of any settlement.
It comes as Mr Trump said he may meet with Mr Zelenskyy in the White House as early as next week. The two last met in New York in September last year.
Mr Trump also repeated his interest in meeting the Russian president with whom he said he always had a “good relationship”.
Speaking to reporters while meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Mr Trump said: “I’d like to see it end, just on a human basis. I’d like to see that end. It’s a ridiculous war.”
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Mr Zelenskyy also told Reuters in his interview that thousands of North Korean soldiers have now returned to fight Kyiv’s forces in the Kursk region of Russia.
A Ukrainian special forces commander told Sky News last month that it appeared that North Korean troops had been temporarily pulled back from the frontline after heavy losses.
The commander, who went by the codename “Puls,” claimed the forces had been seen blowing themselves up with grenades rather than risk capture.
