Blinken confirms Zelensky suggested US rare-earths agreement under Biden

(MENAFN) Former U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has confirmed that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky offered a rare-earth minerals partnership to the U.S. during Joe Biden’s presidency. In an interview with CNBC, Blinken said there’s nothing wrong with the U.S. benefiting from Ukraine’s mineral resources, but he criticized the Trump administration’s current strategy to secure such a deal.

Blinken explained that the Biden administration pursued the agreement with an eye toward joint investment and mutual benefit, whereas he described the Trump administration’s version as a “protection racket without the protection.” The current deal reportedly allows U.S. companies broad access to Ukraine’s economy, but without offering Kyiv any formal security guarantees.

President Trump has argued that the deal will help U.S. taxpayers recover some of the funds spent supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia. However, the lack of security commitments has drawn criticism, especially as Zelensky continues to demand concrete guarantees—including NATO membership, nuclear weapons, or Western missile deployments—as preconditions for peace talks with Moscow.

Talks about rare-earths cooperation began shortly after Trump returned to office, with several versions of the deal being drafted and then scrapped. The two sides came close to finalizing an agreement during Zelensky’s Washington visit in February, but the signing was abruptly canceled after Zelensky publicly questioned Trump’s Russia policy. The incident reportedly led to his delegation being asked to leave the White House.

Blinken maintained that Biden’s administration was working toward a sustainable partnership, unlike the transactional approach now being pursued.

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