On April 25, 2025, US President Donald Trump harshly demanded that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky immediately sign an agreement on US access to rare earth metals, accusing Kyiv of delaying the process for three weeks. This was reported by Reuters, citing Trump's words:

"Ukraine led by Volodymyr Zelensky has not signed the final documents on a very important agreement on rare earth elements. It is at least three weeks late. I hope it will be signed IMMEDIATELY."

The rare earths deal in question is part of a broader Trump administration strategy to ensure the US has the strategic resources it needs for high-tech industries, including weapons, electronics and artificial intelligence. As the BBC notes, Ukraine holds about 5% of the world’s rare earths, including lithium, titanium and uranium, making it a key player in the market. However, many of its deposits are in Russian-controlled territory, complicating the deal.

Tensions over the deal escalated after Trump and Zelensky publicly spat in the Oval Office on February 28, 2025, when the signing of a preliminary agreement was disrupted. Zelensky then said the document did not protect Ukraine's interests, in particular because of the lack of clear security guarantees.

Last week, on April 18, the United States and Ukraine signed a Memorandum of Intent, which, according to RBC, obliges the parties to complete discussions of the draft agreement by April 26. The memorandum is not a final document, but it records Kyiv's intention to provide the United States with access to mineral resources in exchange for continued support. Commenting on the memorandum, Zelensky called it "the first step" towards a full-fledged deal, but stressed that security issues remain a priority.

Trump, however, linked the deal to broader peace talks. He said “work is going smoothly on an overall peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine,” hinting at imminent success. This is a reference to the so-called “Trump Peace Plan,” which, according to Reuters, includes recognizing Crimea as Russian, freezing the front lines, and U.S. control of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. The plan has drawn criticism in Europe and Ukraine, where it is seen as a concession to Moscow.