Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed willingness to work with the United States on rare-earth minerals. His statement came after a heated argument between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disrupted discussions on a potential deal.
Moreover, in a viral video, Putin confirmed Russia’s openness to collaboration. “We will be open to cooperation with our American partners, and when I say ‘partners’ I not only mean administrative and governmental agencies, but also private companies if they show interest in working together,” he said.
Russia Holds More Rare-Earth Reserves Than Ukraine
Furthermore, Putin emphasized that Russia has far greater rare-earth mineral reserves than Ukraine. He described Russia as a global leader in rare and rare-earth metal resources.
“Russia possesses significantly higher resources of this kind (rare earth minerals) than Ukraine,” Putin said. “Russia is one of the uncontested leaders when it comes to rare and rare-earth metal reserves.”
Additionally, he highlighted key regions with rich deposits, including Murmansk, the Caucasus, Irkutsk, Yakutia, and Tuva. However, he noted that extracting these minerals requires substantial investment. Therefore, Russia remains open to partnerships with foreign companies, including those from the United States.
Notably, Putin also mentioned newly controlled territories, referring to areas seized after the 2022 Ukraine invasion. “The same is true for new territories,” he said. “We are ready to work with our partners, including Americans.”
Trump and Zelenskyy Clash at the White House
Meanwhile, Trump and Zelenskyy had a tense meeting at the White House. They clashed over the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
As a result, sources reported that Trump became frustrated and abruptly ended the conversation. He reportedly told Zelenskyy to return “when he is ready for peace.” Later, he repeated the statement on social media.
Initially, the meeting was expected to include talks on a minerals deal. Some viewed it as a step toward a US-brokered truce. However, due to the disagreement, Zelenskyy left without an agreement. In addition, the planned joint press conference was cancelled.
