Trump May Offer Putin Resource Access in Exchange for Ukraine Ceasefire

Media have reported that during the August 15 negotiations, Donald Trump plans to propose granting Vladimir Putin access to deposits of rare earth metals, oil, and gas in exchange for ending the war in Ukraine, Orda.kz reports.

According to The Telegraph, citing sources, the U.S. president is allegedly prepared to offer Putin several lucrative economic agreements, including the possibility of extracting valuable natural resources in Alaska. He may also promise to lift sanctions on Russia’s aviation industry and remove several export restrictions.

How attractive the proposal would be is unclear, considering Russia occupies said territories.

Trump has previously stated that if Russia refuses a truce, it could face “serious consequences.”

He also said that immediately after talks with Putin, he wants to arrange direct negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian authorities — either with or without the participation of the U.S. president.

Ukraine is estimated to hold up to 10% of the world’s lithium reserves — a valuable metal used in the production of batteries and electronics. Two of the country’s largest lithium deposits are located in territories occupied by Russian forces.

A Telegraph source claims that access to these deposits could be part of the deal Trump is ready to offer Putin.

Lifting sanctions on Russia’s aviation industry — which, according to media reports, is also part of the proposed deal — would benefit both Russia and the United States. It would allow U.S. corporation Boeing to resume supplying spare parts to the Russian market.

In addition, the negotiations may include granting Russian companies access to Alaska’s rich natural resources — primarily oil and gas extraction.

Earlier, The Telegraph reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had softened his position and was ready to discuss territorial concessions to end the war with Russia. However, this referred only to the part of Ukraine already controlled by Russian troops.

Zelenskyy later denied these claims.

Original Author: Nikita Drobny