US & Ukraine Duel on Minerals as Putin Eyes Rare-Earth Cake!

Russian President Vladimir Putin happens to be pleased about the ugly storm that brewed in the Oval Office, while US President Donald J Trump and his deputy, Vice-President JD Vance, berated Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for being “not being thankful” for all the US help his country had received in the three-year war, including monetary aid and weapons.

Trump blew up on Friday, angrily sending Zelenskyy out of the White House after he said he was not ready to make peace with Russia. After Zelenskyy was ordered out of the Oval Office, Trump famously said on his ‘X’ (previously Twitter) handle that the Ukrainian leader could come back when he was ready for peace. The minerals deal was hanging fire and the scheduled joint press conference was called off.

Zelenskyy is now back home in Kyiv after three frenetic days that started with him being ousted from the White House following the public display of animosity with Trump and Vance. But London, over the weekend, was more welcoming…more receptive to Ukraine’s sentiments. UK Prime Minister, the (Rt Hon.) Sir Keir Starmer, greeted the Ukrainian president outside his 10, Downing Street, residence on Sunday. Zelenskyy paid a visit to King Charles, too, and was shown strong support by European leaders at a weekend summit at Lancaster House, in London. This was at sharp variance with what had happened at the Oval Office.

After Zelenskyy’s London visit, Sir Keir mentioned that the European leaders would form a “coalition” of those who were “willing” to stand by Ukraine in its hour of need—but details of who exactly would contribute what were not forthcoming. But, by the time he had had those crucial summit talks with European leaders in London on Sunday, Zelenskyy had swallowed his pride and said a minerals deal with the US was ready for signing—and this, in spite of his public spat with Trump. Kyiv, he affirmed, was ready to move ahead with the minerals deal.

Zelenskyy was quoted by Al-Jazeera as saying that it was Ukraine’s policy to carry on despite what had occurred in the past. “If we agreed…we were ready to sign it. And honestly, I believe the United States is ready as well,” reporters at London’s Stansted airport heard Zelenskyy say through a translator. He seemed to be confident that relations with Trump could be salvaged and that the US Administration would not sever assistance to Kyiv.

Also read: Game of Cards: The Silent Influence of Putin, Trump & 'Joker in the Pack'

And, Meanwhile, This…

What followed the White House spat, says NBC News quoting two USAID officials working on the agency’s Ukraine mission, was not sweet! Only last week, the US State Department put a full-stop to a US Agency for International Development (USAID) initiative for restoring, and refurbishing, Ukraine’s energy grid that had seen investments running into hundreds of millions of dollars, to protect it from Russian military aggression.

Power outages were imposed at not even a single night’s notice in some Ukrainian regions because of the attacks on energy facilities. Ukraine’s energy systems have, incidentally, had to bear the near-constant impact all through this three-year war period. Besides closing Ukraine’s Energy Security Project, USAID is also radically downsizing its Ukraine presence.

An USAID official close to the Ukraine mission told NBC News that Russia was “fighting a two-pronged war in Ukraine”—it was military, as well as economic. Russia was trying to steamroll Ukraine’s economy, while USAID had played a key role in Ukraine’s resilience. It had shored up Ukraine’s energy grid, and given enormous support to their government to avoid a macro-economic crisis, the official said.

‘Not a Litre until Trump…’

One of the largest Norwegian shipping companies, Haltbakk Bunkers, with interests in oil, says Hindustan Times, has severed all fuel supply to the US military after Zelenskyy’s dressing-down by Trump. They announced that they would cut off all supplies for refuelling US Navy ships to show their support for the Ukrainian president.

The statement read, “We have today been witnesses to the biggest shitshow ever presented ‘live on TV’ by the current American president and his vice-president. Huge credit (goes) to the president of Ukraine (for) restraining himself and for keeping calm even though USA put on a backstabbing TV show. It made us sick… As a result, we have decided to immediate(ly) STOP as fuel provider to American forces in Norway and their ships calling (at) Norwegian ports.”

Putin Plays His Cards!

Putin, meanwhile, has dropped a bombshell! He wants to offer a rare-earth elements (REE) deal to the US after the potential minerals deal with Zelenskyy fell through, according to a report in Mint. In a video that went viral on social media, the Russian President said his country was “open to cooperation” with its American partners, which also included private entities. “Partners” were not the only ones that included US administrative and government agencies, but also private companies interested in working in tandem.

Putin confidently—and that is not a confidence that comes out of sheer ego—said his country had “significantly higher” natural resources—critical minerals and rare-earth elements (REEs)—than Ukraine. In a chest-thumping mood, Putin proclaimed that Russia had “deposits in Murmansk and in the Caucasus, in Kabardino-Balkaria, as well as in the Irkutsk region, in Yakutia and Tuva.”

Putin said the same held true for his country’s “new territories”. “We’re open to foreign partnerships,” Mint quotes him as having said. All these regions that had now become a part of the Russian Federation also held reserves, he added, while reiterating, “We’re ready to work with our partners, including Americans.” He did admit, however, that developing these resources would need high amounts of capital investment and Russia was ready to cooperate with American and “other foreign partners” to achieve this end.

Also read: The Mediator's Burden: London's Summit, and the Weight of a War-Torn Continent | Opinion

(The author of this article is an award-winning Science Writer and a Defence, Aerospace & Political Analyst based in Bengaluru. He is also Director of ADD Engineering Components, India, Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany. You can reach him at: girishlinganna@gmail.com)