Russia, like U.S. President Donald Trump, covets Ukraine's natural resources - and on the ground its forces are closing in on a giant lithium deposit. Trump said this month he wants Kyiv to hand over large quantities of its critical minerals in return for U.

White House national security adviser Mike Waltz said on Friday he expects Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to sign a minerals agreement with the United States as part of efforts to end the Ukraine war,

A U.S. official with knowledge of the negotiations said a new version of the deal between the two countries has been put on the table.

This follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's rejection of a detailed U.S. proposal last week that would have seen Washington receiving 50% of Ukraine's critical minerals, which include graphite,

After days of tense relations and verbal sparring, the White House is pushing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to allow the U.S. access to Ukraine’s critical minerals as payback for billions spent on wartime aid.