Donald Trump sidelined as EU offers own 'win-win' deal to Ukraine

The EU is offering its own version of a deal to Ukraine focused on its precious natural resources - after US President Donald Trump demanded repayment for military aid.

The bloc offered Ukraine an agreement on "critical materials" after the Republican leader claimed he would secure "rare earths and various other things".

Commissioner for Industrial Strategy Stéphane Séjourné pitched the proposal to Ukrainian officials in Kyiv while marking the third anniversary of the war.

He said: "Twenty-one of the 30 critical materials Europe needs can be provided by Ukraine in a win-win partnership. The added value Europe offers is that we will never demand a deal that's not mutually beneficial."

This comes after Mr Trump claimed he was "very close" to securing a deal of his own. He said: "I want them to give us something for all of the money that we put up. We're asking for rare earth and oil - anything we can get."

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Volodymyr Zelensky has already refused to sign two of the Trump administration's draft agreements on its mineral riches - which the US president demanded as much as £395 billion for.

The Ukrainian president said the terms were too harsh as they reportedly included giving up revenue from minerals, oil gas, ports and other infrastructure, as per the New York Times.

He said: "I will not sign what 10 generations of Ukrainians will have to pay back."

However, Olga Stefanishyna, Ukraine's deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, said negotiations had been "very constructive" and are nearly finished.

She wrote on X: "Ukrainian and US teams are in the final stages of negotiations regarding the minerals agreement. The negotiations have been very constructive, with nearly all key details finalised.

"We are committed to completing this swiftly to proceed with its signature. We hope both US and UA leaders might sign and endorse it in Washington the soonest to showcase our commitment for decades to come."

The battle for the resources involves has become increasingly contentious as Ukraine is home to elements and minerals critical to manufacturing modern technology.

Russia also controls many Ukrainian territories rich in coal, oil, gas, and uranium.