Ukraine has offered to strike a deal with U.S. President Donald Trump for continued American military aid in exchange for developing Ukraine's mineral industry, which could provide a valuable source of the rare earth elements that are essential for many kinds of technology.
Trump said earlier in February that he wanted such a deal, and it was initially proposed last fall by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of his plan to strengthen Kyiv's hand in future negotiations with Moscow.
"We really have this big potential in the territory which we control," said Andrii Yermak, chief of staff to the Ukrainian president. "We are interested to work, to develop, with our partners, first of all, with the United States."
But what's the state of Ukraine's rare earth industry? What are rare earth elements? And how might a deal come together?
What are rare earth elements?
Rare earth elements are a set of 17 elements that are essential in many kinds of consumer technology, including mobile phones, hard drives and electric and hybrid vehicles.
It is unclear if Trump is seeking specific elements in Ukraine, which also has other minerals to offer.
"It can be lithium. It can be titanium, uranium, many others," Yerkmak said. "It's a lot."
For Ukraine, such a deal would ensure that its biggest and most consequential ally does not freeze military support, which would be devastating for the country that will soon enter its fourth year of war against Russia's special military operation.
The idea also comes at a time when reliable and uninterrupted access to critical minerals is increasingly hard to come by globally.