I must admit this is a very good deal, or at least according to the contract.
Not only that, the 100 billion already given to Ukraine has been written off
The global trade war may have helped, as it is Trump's first deal. It is free trade with no tax to and from both countries, at least in terms on of this investment fund.
When it was first announced, it seemed like a decent deal. Then it changed, and it became ridiculous and it seemed Trump was going to own parts of Ukraine.
The final version, the signed deal looks like a good outcome, as it will also help Ukraine develop their mining capabilities while also generating revenue to fund the reconstruction of Ukraine.
In terms of the war, their is no explicit security guarantee, but it does imply a bit of security as Putin cant exactly attack mining sites with American personnel- without some form of response from America.
Putin wants to continue the war until he has taken all of Ukraine, which would be more difficult if the US has significant financial interests and people involved across Ukraine.
Indirectly it is a kick in the teeth to Putin. It just seems to ignore his plans to conquer all of Ukraine, almost as the war is not even going on. Like a plan for the future that assumes Ukraine will get peace at some point, rather than just get absorbed by Russia.
I am not sure what America gets out of it. The 100 billion dollars war support has been written off.
Ukraine has rare earth minerals, but they are not actually that rare. Mining is difficult, but the main challenge is processing them.
Neither Ukraine or the US has expertise in processing rare earth, so at present that might mean shipping it to China to process - until their are more countries that can do this.
Perhaps it could impact the supply/demand and push the price down with increased availability.
If America mine more regular stuff like oil, they have to share the profits with Ukraine. Useful, but I cant see this as an amazing deal for the US. The main benefit for the US is probably graphite, titanium and lithium - but they could get this from other places that are not in the middle of a war.
Although China is strong in these vital materials, so perhaps also to counter China as a miner and producer.
This agreement suggests increased military support from the US, as they can include it on the tab for the agreement.
Summary Table: Top Rare Earth Mining Locations (2025)
Country Reserves (Mt) Mining Maturity Processing Capacity Key Deposits/NotesChina44AdvancedWorld-leadingBayan Obo, Sichuan, JiangxiVietnam22EmergingLimitedLai Châu, Yên BáiBrazil21EmergingGrowingSerra Verde, ionic clay depositsRussia10LimitedSomeMurmansk, Tomtor, Kola PeninsulaIndia6.9DevelopingLimitedKerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha (sands)Australia~4.2AdvancedModerateMt Weld (Lynas)United States~2.3AdvancedLimitedMountain Pass (California)Greenland~1.5UntappedNoneEnvironmental/logistical hurdles