White House and Ukraine draw closer to rare earths deal

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky gives a press conference in Kyiv. Picture: Tetiana Dzhafarova via AP

The White House and Ukraine have made significant progress toward reaching an agreement that would provide the US with access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The progress in talks comes after President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky traded sharp rhetoric this week about their differences over the matter.