Trump Claims US Has Mineral Stake in Ukraine Following Land Deal
"We have a little stake in that country now because we have some land in that country, but we have minerals. It's among the wealthiest. It's among the best land anywhere in the world for rare earth. Rare earth. I look forward to taking advantage of it at the right time."
About this episode
President Donald Trump held chaotic press conferences at NATO headquarters with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that were marked by repeated verbal gaffes, threats of military escalation, and controversial policy announcements. Trump repeatedly called President Zelenskyy "President Putin" and at one point referred to Iran as the "Islamic Republic of Japan." The president declared the ceasefire with Iran over, calling Iranian leaders "scum" and "sick people" while threatening to destroy the country's entire infrastructure including all bridges, electrical grids, and desalinization plants in a single day. Trump confirmed ongoing military operations against Iranian boats and suggested potential invasion of Qar Island. In a significant revelation, Trump disclosed that the United States now has a stake in Ukraine's rare earth mineral resources, stating the U.S. has acquired land there and looks forward to exploiting these minerals. Trump also announced cutting all trade with Spain, calling the NATO ally "a wasted cause" that should be removed from the alliance. He blamed NATO for not supporting him on Greenland, which he continues to insist the U.S. should control, and told a disputed historical account of Denmark's World War II experience. Throughout the press conferences, Trump discussed ongoing military strikes, asked reporters to roleplay questions as if he were Putin, compared the Ukraine-Russia conflict to two kids fighting in a park, and made comments suggesting he expects possible assassination attempts. NATO Secretary General Rutte concluded by calling the summit successful and declaring the alliance stronger than ever, despite the tumultuous nature of Trump's appearances.
Key takeaways
- President Trump repeatedly called Ukrainian President Zelenskyy 'President Putin' during joint NATO press conference and referred to Iran as Islamic Republic of Japan
- Trump declared Iran ceasefire over and threatened to destroy all bridges, electrical grids, and desalinization plants in Iran within one day
- President revealed United States acquired land stake in Ukraine and plans to exploit country's rare earth mineral deposits
- Trump announced cutting all trade with Spain and suggested NATO ally should be removed from the alliance for not paying enough
- President confirmed ongoing military operations against Iranian boats and suggested potential invasion of Iran's Qar Island
- Trump blamed NATO for not supporting his efforts to acquire Greenland and insisted US should control the territory for global security
- President asked reporters to roleplay questions as if he were Putin and compared Ukraine-Russia war to children fighting in a park