Putin Offers Cooperation with US Partners on Rare-earth Minerals (Video)

Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted at offering the United States a rare earths deal after Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky failed to reach an agreement on their supposed deal following a heated exchange between the two at the White House.

In a video circulating on social media, Putin was seen saying that Russia would be “open to cooperation” with its American partners, including private companies, according to Mint.

“We will be open to cooperation with our American partners, and when I say ‘partners’ I mean not only administrative and government agencies, but also private companies if they show interest in working together,” he said.

The Russian president noted that his country has “much higher” rare and rare earths resources than Ukraine.

“Russia has much higher resources of this type (rare earths) than Ukraine,” he said. “Russia is one of the undisputed leaders when it comes to rare and very rare earths reserves.”

“We have deposits in the north, in Murmansk, in the Caucasus, in Kabardino-Balkaria, as well as in the Far East, in the Irkutsk region, in Yakutia and Tuva,” Putin added.

However, the development of these resources requires large amounts of capital investment and Russia is ready to cooperate with American and other foreign partners in the same matter.

“The same applies to new territories. We are open to foreign partnerships. These territories that have become part of the Russian Federation also hold certain reserves. We are ready to work with our partners, including the Americans.”

US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky have been embroiled in a row over the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Trump exploded with anger at Zelensky on Friday, angrily ejecting the Ukrainian leader from the White House after he said he was not ready to make peace with Russia.

As a result, Zelensky left without a mineral deal that had been portrayed as a significant step toward a US-brokered truce.

Instead of what might have been a deal toward peace, an ugly clash erupted in the Oval Office as Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance called on the Ukrainian leader to express gratitude for U.S. assistance in the three-year war.

After Zelensky left the Oval Office, Trump posted on social media that he “can return when he is ready for peace.”

The metals deal was not signed and the joint news conference was canceled.