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US Seeks to Expand Minerals Deal With Ukraine, Including Russia-Occupied Nuclear Plant
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![Vlad Litnarovych]( "Vlad Litnarovych")
The Trump administration is looking for a way for Ukraine to grant the United States greater control over its critical minerals, energy assets, and even nuclear power plants as part of a broader economic arrangement tied to ceasefire talks with Russia, the Financial Times reported on March 21.
Washington has proposed expanding a pending joint investment deal to include ownership provisions and potentially extend US control over key infrastructure, including Ukraine’s nuclear facilities, two Ukrainian officials said.
This would effectively reopen negotiations on an earlier minerals deal drafted just before a public falling-out between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House.
At a Thursday press briefing, Trump underscored the US interest in securing agreements on rare earth minerals worldwide, singling out Ukraine.
“We’re doing very well with regard to Ukraine and Russia, and one of the things we’re doing is signing a deal very shortly with respect to rare earths with Ukraine,” Trump said, offering no further details.
Ukrainian officials have expressed concerns over being strong-armed into a deal that could compromise the country’s economic independence, particularly after Washington temporarily halted weapons deliveries and intelligence sharing with Kyiv earlier this month.
According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Trump and Zelenskyy discussed Ukraine’s electrical grid and nuclear power plants in a recent call.
“[President Trump] said that the United States could be very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise,” the summary of the call stated, adding that US ownership would provide “the best protection” for Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Zelenskyy, however, clarified that he had only discussed one nuclear facility—the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest.
Located 650 km southeast of Kyiv, the plant has been under Russian military control since March 2022.
In February, Ukraine and the US agreed on a framework for developing Ukraine’s mineral resources, including oil and gas.
The deal, signed on February 25, was a pared-down version of Washington’s original proposal. It omitted an earlier reference to potential $500 billion revenues from mineral extraction and excluded existing projects already generating revenue for Ukraine.
While the agreement acknowledged Ukraine’s need for security guarantees, it did not explicitly commit the US to security—something Zelenskyy had sought in exchange for economic concessions.
“We are ready to sign it,” said a senior Ukrainian official close to Zelenskyy. “It will be strange to ignore it.”
Two Ukrainian officials involved in the talks confirmed to Financial Times that Washington had yet to present new terms formally, but suggested a broader agreement was in the works.
A White House National Security Council spokesperson acknowledged that discussions on economic partnerships “remain ongoing” but stated that the focus had now shifted to ceasefire negotiations.
Earlier, Trump stated that an agreement with Ukraine on critical minerals and rare earth elements is set to be signed soon.
Speaking at an educational event in Washington, Trump highlighted efforts to boost the production of essential minerals in the US and abroad. He emphasized Ukraine’s significant resources in this sector and noted progress in finalizing the agreement.
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