Trump Says US 'Pretty Close' to Minerals Deal with Ukraine

Alsharq Tribune- AFP

President Donald Trump said on Saturday the United States is close to an agreement with Ukraine on sharing revenue from Ukrainian minerals as part of efforts to end the Ukraine war.

"I think we're pretty close to a deal," Trump told a gathering of conservatives in National Harbor, Maryland, on the outskirts of Washington.

He said the United States wanted to recoup the billions of dollars in military aid Washington has given to Ukraine in its fight to repel Russian invaders. He said the United States is asking for rare earths, oil or "anything we can get."

US pressing Kyiv for access to Ukraine's critical minerals have raised the possibility of cutting the country's access to Elon Musk's vital Starlink satellite internet system, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Saturday.

Ukraine's continued access to SpaceX-owned Starlink was brought up in discussions between US and Ukrainian officials after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy turned down an initial proposal from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the sources said.

Starlink provides crucial internet connectivity to war-torn Ukraine and its military.

The issue was raised again on Thursday during meetings between Keith Kellogg, the US special Ukraine envoy, and Zelenskiy, said one of the sources, who was briefed on the talks.

During the meeting, Ukraine was told it faced imminent shutoff of the service if it did not reach a deal on critical minerals, said the source, who requested anonymity to discuss closed negotiations. "Ukraine runs on Starlink. They consider it their North Star," said the source. "Losing Starlink ... would be a massive blow."

After Reuters published its story, Musk posted on X that the article was “false” and “Reuters is lying.” Contacted by Reuters for specifics, Musk did not immediately respond.

A Reuters spokesperson said the news agency stands by its reporting.