Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday he was open to offering the United States access to Russia's rare minerals, including those from Ukrainian territories that Russia has occupied since the start of the three-year war. writes the BBC.
Putin's offer is seen as an alternative to the rare earth minerals agreement between the US and Ukraine, which according to US President Donald Trump and other Ukrainian officials is close to being finalized.
In a statement on state television on Monday, Putin said he was ready to "offer" resources to American partners in joint projects, including resources in the "new territories" - a reference to the eastern parts of Ukraine that Russia has occupied since launching a large-scale military operation.
He also added that a possible agreement between America and Ukraine on rare earth minerals is not a concern and that Russia "has, without a doubt, more resources of this kind than Ukraine."
Rare earth minerals are a group of 17 elements that are essential for many types of technology, including cell phones, disks, and components for electric and hybrid vehicles.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had rejected the initial American proposal to control 50 percent of Ukraine's rare earth minerals, on the grounds that the proposal did not contain the expected commitments that would provide security guarantees in the event of a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.