President Donald Trump’s claim that the potential “trillion-dollar deal” he is on the cusp of signing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would offer the US easy access to a bonanza of rare earth minerals is at odds with the widespread assessment of current and former US officials who say there’s little actual evidence of great rare earth and other mineral wealth in Ukraine and much of what does exist will be difficult,

Trump has framed the emerging deal that would give the US access to Ukraine’s deposits of rare earth minerals as a chance for Kyiv to pay back the US for aid already sent.

A framework agreement outlining U.S. access to revenues from Ukraine's natural resources in exchange for security guarantees has legal gaps that must be filled in future negotiations, four experts told Reuters a day before the countries' leaders meet in Washington.