Moscow: In a significant development, Russia has expressed openness to economic collaboration with the United States, particularly in the fields of energy and rare earth minerals.
The announcement follows remarks by US President Donald Trump, who revealed that his administration is engaged in "serious discussions" with Moscow aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine and exploring economic development opportunities. Trump highlighted Russia’s "massive rare earth" resources as a key area of potential cooperation.
The discussions come amid reports that the US has been negotiating with Ukraine over access to nearly half of the country’s mineral wealth in exchange for continued military aid.
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his government is prepared to partner with American companies to develop rare earth mineral deposits both in Russia and in Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine. Putin emphasized Russia’s advantage in resource reserves, claiming the country possesses far more rare earth materials than Ukraine.
“Russia is among the global leaders in rare metal reserves,” Putin said in an interview with state media. Referring to Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine, he added, “We are ready to attract foreign partners – there are significant reserves there as well.”
Putin also signaled willingness to supply the US with up to 2 million tons of aluminum if Washington lifts sanctions currently limiting Russian metal exports.
The comments were echoed by Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s special envoy for investment and international economic cooperation. Speaking to media, Dmitriev stressed the importance of US-Russia collaboration for global economic stability and revealed that energy cooperation would likely be the starting point of this partnership.
These statements coincided with Trump’s joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House, where Trump spoke optimistically about his ability to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
“I’ve spoken with President Putin, and my team is in constant contact with his team,” Trump said. “They want to make a deal — and that’s what I do. I make deals.”
When questioned about his trust in Putin, Trump responded that he believes the Russian leader is motivated to reach an agreement. “Maybe I’m wrong, but I believe he wants to make a deal,” he said.
While Ukraine has requested security guarantees from the US as part of any peace settlement, Trump has yet to take a clear position on those demands.
