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00:00It's been a central part of Donald Trump's plan for a peace treaty. How much access to
00:07Ukraine's rare minerals can he get Kiev to grant Washington?
00:14The answer for now is confidential, but it would appear that the final deal is worth
00:18less than the $500 billion worth of minerals that were previously requested by the United
00:23States after the US reportedly dropped its toughest demands.
00:28A senior Ukrainian official speaking on condition of anonymity said a joint fund between the
00:34two countries would be created and that lawmakers are working out the details of the deal.
00:41An agreement that could be signed as early as this Friday, which would see Volodymyr
00:45Zelensky meet Donald Trump at the White House.
00:50The minerals would be payback for the financial aid that the United States has provided to
00:54Ukraine to defend itself against the Russian army.
00:58The agreement comes a day after Emmanuel Macron met Donald Trump in Washington, and the Ukrainian
01:04president thanked his European allies for siding with him.
01:09We deeply appreciate that our partners are not only continuing their support but also
01:14increasing it, helping us to achieve peace sooner. This peace must be just and ensure
01:20that an invasion never happens again.
01:24A minerals deal is a chance for the United States, if it can successfully extract them,
01:30to reduce its dependence on China.
01:33Ukraine's reserves include critical materials such as graphite and lithium, which are used
01:37for batteries, as well as rare earth metals used in a wide array of industries, from aeroplane
01:43engines to computer screens.
01:51Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, said that he was open to offering the United States access
01:55to minerals in Russia, as well as in the lands that it occupies in eastern Ukraine.