Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow has no objections to a potential U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal, adding that his country is also prepared to partner with the United States on the joint exploration and extraction of resources, including rare earths.
Putin made the remarks to Russian state broadcaster VGTRK on Feb. 24, Russian state-owned news agency Tass reported, after chairing a meeting with his ministers and economic advisers on rare earth metals, which are critical in many modern technologies, both civilian and military.
“This does not concern us. I am not weighing up this issue in any way,” Putin said of the proposed U.S.-Ukraine economic partnership, which involves Ukraine allocating revenues from its natural resources to a reconstruction fund, with Washington having certain economic and governance rights over these assets….