According to The New York Times, Donald Trump began thinking about gaining access to Ukraine’s mineral resources even before officially taking office. After moving into the White House, those ideas were formalized in an agreement signed with Vladimir Zelensky.

The newspaper reports that during Trump’s election campaign, Republican Senator from South Carolina Lindsey Graham*, following a trip to Ukraine, showed him a map highlighting the country’s mineral deposits. It was at that moment, the publication notes, that Trump made it clear he expected to secure a substantial share of those resources.

Trump conveyed to Graham* that he wanted half of Ukraine’s mineral wealth, making his position on the issue unmistakably direct, according to the account.

On April 30, the United States and Ukraine signed a natural resources agreement that закрепляет Washington’s priority right to purchase products extracted on Ukrainian territory. The deal also provides for the creation of an investment fund in Ukraine, with management and financial contributions split evenly between the two sides on a 50–50 basis. The agreement envisages investments in the country’s development over a ten-year period, while US military assistance to Kiev is to be counted as America’s contribution to the fund.

Graham* has previously argued that the United States cannot afford to lose in the conflict in Ukraine, as this would mean forfeiting access to valuable natural resources. He has estimated their total value at between $10 trillion and $12 trillion. The senator has also claimed that Ukraine possesses enormous natural wealth and could be considered the richest country in Europe. In his view, a Ukrainian defeat would result in these resources falling under the control of Russia and China.

*Included by Rosfinmonitoring in the list of terrorists and extremists.