German Chancellor Olaf Scholz slammed U.S. President Donald Trump's suggestion to link continued U.S. military support for Ukraine to access to its valuable raw materials, particularly rare earth metals. These metals, essential in industries ranging from electric vehicles to defense technology, have become a point of serious contention in the ongoing war against Russia.
In a February 8 interview with Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND), Scholz condemned Trump’s approach, calling it "selfish and self-serving." He said that Ukraine, under direct attack by Russia, should be aided without the expectation of repayment. “Ukraine is under attack and we are helping it, without asking to be paid in return. This should be everyone’s position,” Scholz said.
Trump had previously proposed that Ukraine should guarantee access to its rare earth reserves in exchange for U.S. military aid, claiming that the U.S. had invested massively in the war effort to keep Ukraine in the fight against Russia: "We’re telling Ukraine they have very valuable rare earths. We’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earths and other things," Trump said.
Scholz’s critique of Trump’s position is not new. Earlier, following a European Union summit, he had also referred to Trump's demands as "very selfish." The German chancellor has been clear that resources from Ukraine should be reserved for post-war reconstruction and maintaining a strong defense, not as collateral for military aid.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed some openness to potential partnerships regarding his country’s rare earths. While not directly linking these resources to the ongoing war, Zelenskyy suggested that a “special agreement” could be reached for joint exploitation of valuable resources like uranium, titanium, and lithium, as part of a broader strategy for Ukraine’s post-war recovery and growth.
