Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed interest in working with the US on rare-earth minerals. His statement came after a heated argument between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. As a result, their dispute disrupted talks about a potential minerals deal.

Putin Ready to Work with U.S.

In a widely shared video, Putin confirmed Russia’s willingness to collaborate with American companies and government agencies.

“We will be open to cooperation with our American partners, and when I say ‘partners’ I not only mean administrative and governmental agencies, but also private companies if they show interest in working together,” Putin said.

Furthermore, he stressed that Russia has far greater rare-earth mineral reserves than Ukraine.

“Russia possesses significantly higher resources of this kind (rare-earth minerals) than Ukraine,” he said. “Russia is one of the uncontested leaders when it comes to rare and rare-earth metal reserves.”

Russia’s Key Resource Regions

To explain further, Putin identified several resource-rich areas in Russia, including Murmansk, the Caucasus, Irkutsk, Yakutia, and Tuva. However, he acknowledged that extracting these minerals requires major investment. Therefore, he invited foreign companies, including American businesses, to collaborate.

“The same is true for new territories,” Putin added, referring to regions Russia claimed after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. “We are ready to work with our partners, including Americans.”

Trump and Zelenskyy Clash at White House

Meanwhile, the rare-earth minerals discussion followed a tense meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy. The two leaders argued over the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

According to sources, Trump grew frustrated and abruptly ended the conversation.

As a result, he reportedly told Zelenskyy he could return “when he is ready for peace.” Later, he repeated this statement on social media.

Initially, the meeting was supposed to include talks about a minerals deal. Many saw it as a possible step toward a U.S.-brokered truce. However, due to the dispute, Zelenskyy left without an agreement. In addition, a scheduled joint press conference was canceled.