Trump to Meet Zelenskyy on Rare Earths, May Talk to Putin to End "Ridiculous" War

President Donald Trump plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy next week, aiming to discuss Ukraine's rare earth minerals and efforts to end the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, which Trump described as "a ridiculous war." Trump expressed interest in securing Ukraine's rare earth assets, noting that "Europe is putting up much less money" than the United States. Zelenskyy welcomed Trump's proposal, stating, "Let's do a deal," but emphasized the need for security guarantees. He also offered the use of Ukraine's gas storage facilities for U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) and stressed the importance of meeting with Trump before any talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy highlighted that Russia controls half of Ukraine's rare earth deposits but less than 20% of its total mineral wealth and expressed concern over Russia's potential alliances with countries like North Korea and Iran. "The Americans helped the most, and therefore the Americans should earn the most," Zelenskyy said, adding, "We always value cooperation with President Trump." Trump also indicated he may speak with Putin, aiming to bring the conflict to an end.