President suggests he wants compensation from Kyiv for America’s financial support

Kieran Kelly11 February 2025 11:22am GMT

Donald Trump has said Ukraine “may be Russian someday” as senior figures in his administration prepare to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky this week.

Speaking as talk of a peace deal ramps up, the US president also said Ukraine had agreed to give the US $500 billion worth of rare earth minerals.

“They may make a deal, they may not make a deal. They may be Russian someday, or they may not be Russian someday,” he told Fox News.

“I told them that I want the equivalent of like $500 billion worth of rare earth (minerals), and they’ve essentially agreed to do that, so at least we don’t feel stupid,” he added.

Ukraine may be sitting on $12trn worth of untapped rare earth and critical minerals, according to some estimates, though it would likely be several years before the US would benefit from such a deal.

“We’re going to have all this money in [Ukraine] and I say, I want it back,” the president said, suggesting that he is looking for compensation from Kyiv for the aid given to Ukraine by the US.

After Mr Trump’s remarks, the Kremlin said a “significant part” of Ukraine already is Russian.

“The fact that a significant part of Ukraine wants to become Russia, and has already, is a fact,” said Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, referring to Moscow’s annexation of four Ukrainian regions in 2022.

Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts is not recognised by the international community, and Russian forces do not fully control any of the four regions.

Mr Trump also confirmed on Monday that General Keith Kellogg, his special envoy for Russia-Ukraine, will visit Kyiv as he ramps up plans to end the war as it approaches its third anniversary.

Gen Kellogg had been due to present the US president’s plan to end the war at the Munich Security Conference this weekend but has pushed plans back to give Europe a seat at the negotiating table.

However, Gen Kellogg is still expected to discuss elements of the plan in Munich, including Mr Trump’s proposal to exchange Ukraine’s rare earths for continued military aid.

Another central element of his plan envisages freezing the conflict along current lines, meaning Russia would retain control of around 20 per cent of Ukraine, mainly in the southeastern region of Donetsk.

Senior members of the Trump administration are expected to visit Ukraine before the security conference, according to Mr Zelensky.

“This week, some serious figures from President Trump’s team will be in Ukraine, even before the Munich conference,” he said, according to Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform.

The Ukrainian president also said he was “working on” meeting Mr Trump, who said he would “probably” meet Mr Zelensky in the coming days.

‘Effective security guarantees’

JD Vance, the US vice-president, is expected to meet Mr Zelensky on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday.

Mr Zelensky on Monday reiterated his calls for “real peace and effective security guarantees” for Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, said Moscow was ready for talks “in which our legal national interests are upheld”.

Vladimir Putin set out his plans for peace in June last year: Ukraine must drop its Nato ambitions and withdraw its troops from the entirety of the territory of four Ukrainian regions claimed by Russia.

Mr Trump and Putin have reportedly spoken about bringing an end to the conflict in Ukraine.

The Russian president “wants to see people stop dying”, Mr Trump told the New York Post.

The Kremlin declined to confirm or deny the call.

Readers on compensation from Ukraine:

Ash Delacroix

“I will be measuring Mr. Trump by how he treats Ukraine. At the moment, he sounds as if he’s horse trading between Ukraine and Russia to see how much money he can extract from either.”

Godfrey Gardner

“Most minerals are in the East where Russia has taken over Ukraine. The only way a Trump mineral deal in exchange for aid would work is to tell Russia to get out of Ukraine completely.”

Steve Fisher

“It’s time for European leadership to speak up. And if it means that we have a different pathway to resolve this war, then we need to vocalise it and be prepared to pay for it.”

M.N.

“I see absolutely no grounds for anyone to agree to anything that either of the other two parties has proposed. Unlike his other geo-political ideas, this one looks like a non-starter.”

A.A.

“If the US is obtaining security over Ukrainian assets as compensation for their investment, why shouldn’t we?”

Paul Hasty

“President Zelensky is having to try and deal with this chump to save his country. I feel so sorry for him.”

Ian Harriss

“Appeasing Vladimir Putin is extremely foolish, Trump may well come to regret this.”

DNDeglet Noor

Whatever happened to Trump ending the war on day one? Can any of his cult explain this failure?

Now he’s looking to extort them. Beyond shameful. No wonder so many of Trump’s businesses went bankrupt.

John BR

Recovery of U.S. dollars by trading rare earth minerals is warranted, we should do the same, but military support must continue. Having said that, I wonder about Trump’s sanity when he hints that Ukraine might one day be surrendered to Russia, Ukraine is a sovereign nation and the EU should step in with immediate membership to stop this ever happening. The denial of NATO membership in perpetuity should be ignored. This is just pandering to the war criminal Putin.

The second question over Trumps mental state is on Gaza. Hamas is an ideology and unless the U.S. wants to put say 25,000 troops on the ground in perpetuity, how does he think that he can protect this “Paradise’s” borders from future attacks, and why does he think that this obvious land grab by U.S. property investors, in concert with Israeli expansion plans will be seen as anything other than what it is ?

JNJF Neptune

He sounds like a gangster asking for protection money. What a disgrace from an American President!

Gone Abroad

I think that it’s likely that Trump is returning to the Monroe Doctrine.

He is (re)establishing America’s sphere of influence and openly admitting it.

If that is his thinking then Ukraine is definitely in Russia’s sphere of influence….

Neil Whelan

Come on fellow posters, stop with the kickback about Trump’s comments. 

He’s doing a deal, that’s what he does, and it’s a boon for Ukraine.

Trump makes sure the US is repaid for the billions they’ve poured in to help Ukraine, but via rare earth minerals which China has been hoovering up. Once Ukraine confirms that, the US is going to be a staunch protector of Ukraine as it has a real monetary interest to be.

Win-win for the US and Ukraine. Personal win for President Trump showing the art of the deal. Same as he’s pushing to do in Gaza. 

Whilst here in the UK we just give away money hand over fist to anyone and everyone. Who are the fools?

Adam Ibrahim

Reply to Neil Whelan

Except Trump didn’t say Israel might be Palestinian one day.

Jake Roycroft

Trump attacks US allies with tariffs and threats. 

While bring soft on terrorist Russia

Maybe they have materiel they are using to blackmail him with. 

Otherwise it makes no sense.

Russia is a chaotic mess that gets weaker and weaker over time.

John Calvert

Reply to Jake Roycroft –

Trump is a Russian asset. Time will tell.

Phil Dawes

Where is all the rhetoric and tough talk from Trump when it comes to Russia? Why is he so reluctant to criticise? He has not once publicly condemned the illegal invasion or the war crimes committed under the direction of Putin against a fellow democratic country. Leader of the free world?

Martin Whapshott

Trump is being weak. He should double down on arms supplies to Ukraine as should all 50 of Ukraines allies. Once Ukraine is systematically destroying Russian military, infrastructure, manufacturing, logistics at an unsustainable rate Putin will be forced to negotiate on Trumps terms or face expulsion from the country.

Trump needs to play his strongest hand and that is his leadership and the manufacturing capability of the US and allies against which Putin has neither the capacity nor the money.