France and Ukraine in Ongoing Talks Over Minerals for French Defense Industry Since October

France and Ukraine have been in discussions since October 2024 about using Ukrainian minerals to support the French defense industry, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu said, as reported by France Info on February 27.

Speaking on France Info’s 8h30 program, Lecornu noted that French leadership had been considering the issue since last fall, when Zelenskyy introduced international partnerships on Ukraine’s natural resources as part of his victory plan.

“Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his team saw that this issue of raw materials could be one of the transactional elements with us, to create endurance,” Lecornu said.

“So, President Trump did not invent it because it was the Ukrainians themselves who did.”

Lecornu said that French President Emmanuel Macron had tasked him with initiating bilateral talks with Ukraine in October to diversify France’s supply of rare earth minerals for its defense sector.

“Our defense industry will need a certain number of key raw materials in our own weapons systems, not for next year, but for the next 30 or 40 years,” he added.

His comments follow the recent preliminary agreement between the U.S. and Kyiv on Ukraine’s natural resources, including rare earth minerals, oil, and gas. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to visit Washington on February 28 to discuss the deal and the potential inclusion of security guarantees.

The agreement, which has been adjusted to align with Ukraine’s commitments under the European integration process, will outline six key provisions. According to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, the agreement will establish a joint Ukraine-U.S. Reconstruction Investment Fund.

Previously, it’s been reported that France has requested to join discussions on a U.S.-Ukraine resource deal, arguing that access to Ukrainian raw materials is critical for its defense industry and could accelerate the end of the war.