and rare earths.

While Zelenskyy has said he is ready to sign an economic proposal that would trade access to his nation’s rare earth minerals for U.S. military aid, the Trump administration is saying the deal is off the table, for now, following the Oval Office argument

That influence ranges from strategic rare-earth minerals in Argentina to soybeans in Brazil, oil and illegal drugs in Venezuela, potential militarized bases near the Panama Canal, and even cartels and political and business elites in Mexico.

A deal granting the United States access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals and other natural resources would help protect Ukraine against Russian aggression, according to a snippet of a social media message reposted by President Donald Trump on March 2

H.R. 4781: Rare Earth Solutions and Carbon Utilization Enhancement (RESCUE) Act of 2025 – Encourages the development of rare earth elements and carbon-related technologies.

A man driving a front loader shifts soil containing rare earth minerals to be loaded at a port in Lianyungang, China, on Sept. 5, 2010.

Ramaco Resources plans to extract coal and more than 450 tons of rare earths from its 4,500-acre Brook Mine near Ranchester, Wyoming.

According to Trump, Beijing will continue to export rare earth minerals, and Chinese students will be able to attend U.S. colleges and universities.

China on Nov. 7 told traders to report real-time export information of rare earths as part of its latest efforts to control the supply chain of critical minerals amid tensions with the West.

The rare earth mineral chokehold—which led Trump to suggest calling off the meeting—isn’t the only card Beijing holds in the negotiation, Moolenaar said.

Despite several recent trade wins, Trump still faces unresolved battles, including a new trade agreement and an ongoing standoff with China over rare-earth minerals.

The United States is finding alternatives to rare earth minerals from China after the pandemic highlighted supply chain concerns. We explore the issues with supply chains and semiconductor production.

During a talk with the Atlantic Council on Feb. 4, Wilkinson mentioned a number of areas in which Canada could cooperate with the United States to undercut China, including jointly investing in a germanium project and in a rare earth minerals processing

(Maxim Shemetov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) Karadeli said he believes Washington likely views Belarus as an alternative source of energy and rare earth minerals.

"We’re sitting on trillions and trillions of dollars under our feet," Trump said, referring to natural resources such as gas, oil, and rare-earth minerals.

A loader shifts soil containing rare earth minerals at a port in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, China, on Sept. 5, 2010. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) China controls over 65 percent of the world’s supply of graphite.

Mongolia, a resource-rich country landlocked between China and Russia, is cementing its partnership with the United States on rare earths. Analysts say it is a significant geopolitical move that could break China's monopoly on rare earth minerals.

China has banned certain rare earth mineral exports, ordered Chinese companies to not buy Boeing aircraft, and imposed 125 percent tariffs on U.S. imports.

Friday’s high-profile meeting at the Oval Office grew tense as Vice President JD Vance, Trump, and Zelenskyy discussed the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and a proposed agreement allowing the U.S. greater access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals

The agreement caused shares to rise on the Australian Stock Exchange, with Northern Minerals up 9 percent and Arafura Rare Earths and Alcoa Corporation up 8 percent.

Rare Earth Metal Supply Chain in the West The Norwegian find is a result of the West rebuilding its supply chain for rare earth minerals. It follows an announcement from LKAB, a Swedish mining company, earlier in January 2023.

The seabed contains critical minerals like cobalt, copper, nickel, and other rare earth elements.

On the issue of China’s dominance in rare earth minerals and critical components, 52 percent of respondents said they strongly agree—and 19 percent somewhat agree—that this poses a serious risk to U.S. national security.

China-based processors control at least 75 percent of the global market for at least 30 minerals, including all rare-earth elements.

"It's unfortunate that this administration has put their dependency for both critical minerals and rare earth minerals in the hands of the communist country of China," Stauber said.

Those rare earth minerals are critical to battery technology. The Island of Rarotonga, the largest island in the Cook Islands is viewed from the air on Aug. 30, 2012.

The plan encourages mining, especially for critical and rare earth minerals, eliminates subsidies for “intermittent” energy programs, and improves wildland firefighting by consolidating Interior and Agriculture Department manpower.

Third, the low energy density of wind and solar power (see Spain’s recent blackout, or Germany’s energy crisis in 2022) means that the amount of materials needed to be mined from the earth, such as rare earth minerals, oil for plastics, and various metals

Both lithium and rare earths are among the 31 minerals classified by the Canadian government as "critical" for national security, innovation and economic development, and various "green energy" applications.