Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed a willingness to allow the United States to access rare minerals.
As per BBC, this offer includes minerals from areas in Ukraine that are currently under Russian control.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged Ukraine to give up some of its mineral resources in exchange for US support.
As per a Ukrainian minister, this agreement is now in the final stages of negotiation.
In a state TV interview on Monday, Russian President said he is willing to offer resources to American partners through joint projects.
This includes mining operations in Russia’s new territories. Putin’s proposal may also include Russia and the US working together on extracting and supplying aluminium to the US.
In his televised interview, Putin opposed Trump’s push for access to Ukraine’s mineral resources and instead stated that Russia is open to working with foreign partners.
Putin said a potential US-Ukraine deal on rare minerals was not a concern and that Russia "undoubtedly have, I want to emphasise, significantly more resources of this kind than Ukraine".
"As for the new territories, it's the same. We are ready to attract foreign partners to the so-called new, to our historical territories, which have returned to the Russian Federation," he added.
He also suggested Russia and the US could work together on aluminium production in Krasnoyarsk, a region in Siberia.
