Trump says US can 'take whatever we want' from Ukraine minerals
03:14, 01/08/2026, SaturdayU: Update: 03:38, 01/08/2026, Saturday
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US President Donald TrumpUS President Donald Trump said Washington holds the right to access Ukraine's rare earth mineral deposits at will under a bilateral agreement signed last year, stating the arrangement allows the United States to seize resources freely while establishing a joint investment fund.
US President Donald Trump on Friday claimed the United States possesses the authority to extract Ukraine's rare earth mineral resources at will under a bilateral accord, declaring that Washington can "take pretty much whatever we want" from the war-torn country. In an interview with Real America's Voice, he emphasized Ukraine's geological wealth, describing the nation as having "very rich, very fertile soil in terms of rare earth (minerals)."
Agreement terms
The deal — signed last year in Washington following months of difficult negotiations — establishes a joint investment fund that will be partially financed by revenues generated from Ukraine's natural resource extraction sector. Trump characterized the arrangement as advantageous for American interests, remarking: "That was a pretty good deal."
Oval Office clash
The agreement emerged after a heated exchange between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, where the two leaders clashed over military aid levels and security guarantees. The confrontation marked a tense moment in bilateral relations before the resource pact was ultimately concluded.
