WASHINGTON – The United States expects to be reimbursed for its “investments” in Ukraine’s war effort, U.S. National Security Adviser Michael Waltz said on Sunday, arguing that repayment would ensure continued American support in the future.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Speaking to Fox News, Waltz stated that the American people “deserve to be recouped” for the billions spent on military and financial aid to Kiev. His comments follow reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declined to sign an agreement granting Washington rights to 50% of Ukraine’s future mineral reserves, allegedly in search of a better deal.
“The American people deserve to have some type of payback for the billions they have invested in this war,” Waltz said. “I can’t think of anything that would make the American people more comfortable with future investments than if we were able to be in a partnership and have the American people made whole.”
His remarks align with recent demands from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has called for the “equivalent of $500 billion worth of rare earths” from Ukraine in return for what he estimates to be over $300 billion in American aid to Kiev. Trump has also proposed deploying U.S. troops to secure Ukraine’s mineral wealth, a suggestion that has sparked debate among lawmakers and analysts.
Waltz insisted that Zelensky would be “very wise” to accept the agreement, though the Ukrainian leader has previously stated that he prefers a mutually beneficial partnership rather than outright resource concessions. Meanwhile, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmigal has proposed granting the European Union access to Ukraine’s critical raw materials in exchange for investment in the country’s post-war reconstruction.
U.S. Leads Military and Financial Aid to Ukraine
According to Waltz, Washington has shouldered the majority of Western aid to Ukraine. Officially, the U.S. Congress has authorized approximately $175 billion in aid since 2022, though much of this funding has been allocated to American industries and domestic defense programs tied to the war effort.
Data from Germany’s Kiel Institute for the World Economy indicates that, as of October 2024, the U.S. had provided around $92 billion in direct military and financial assistance to Ukraine, while EU nations and the UK had contributed a combined $131 billion.
Ukraine’s Vast Mineral Wealth at Stake
A 2024 World Economic Forum report highlighted Ukraine’s significant reserves of critical raw materials essential for defense, high-tech, and green energy industries. The country possesses Europe’s largest titanium and lithium deposits, though these are not classified as rare earth elements.
However, a major challenge for Kiev is that a large portion of Ukraine’s mineral-rich territory is now under Russian control. According to Forbes, approximately $7 trillion worth of Ukraine’s mineral wealth is located in the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics—regions that officially joined Russia in 2022.
With the geopolitical and economic stakes high, negotiations over Ukraine’s resources could determine the future of Western financial and military backing for the country’s war effort.
