INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
President Donald Trump said Monday that he wants to secure half a trillion dollars in rare earth metals from Ukraine, which he suggested
"may be Russian someday," as part of negotiations over continued U.S
support for Kyiv in its defense against invading Russian forces."I want to have our money secured because we're spending hundreds of
billions of dollars," Trump said in an interview with Fox News host Bret Baier
"They may make a deal, they may not make a deal
They may be Russian someday, or they may not be Russian someday."To date, Washington has provided $65.9 billion in military assistance to
Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to the U.S
Another $69.2 billion in military assistance was provided following Russia's initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014.Trump said last week Monday
that he wanted to negotiate an agreement with Ukraine in which Kyiv guarantees supplies of rare earth metals, key elements used in
electronics, in exchange for U.S
with Russia."We are going to have all this money in there, and I say: 'I want it back.' And I told them that I want the equivalent, like
$500 billion worth of rare earth," Trump said during the Fox News interview
"And they have essentially agreed to do that, so at least we don't feel stupid."Trump also said Monday that he would soon send his Ukraine
envoy Keith Kellogg to Kyiv to draft a proposal for ending the war
president has repeatedly said he wants a quick end to the fighting, Zelensky has called for strong security guarantees from Washington in
Vance on Friday on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.In a video address on Monday, Zelensky called for "real peace and
effective security guarantees" for Ukraine."Security of people, security of our state, security of economic relations and, of course, our
"All of this is being decided now."AFP contributed reporting.
