The president appears to have adopted a proposal first made last year that offers “strategic partners” such as the U.S. special access to Ukraine's glut of natural resources.

President Donald Trump says his administration has already had “very serious” discussions with Russia about its war in Ukraine and that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin could soon take “significant” action toward ending the grinding conflict.

Ukraine previously offered U.S. access to its rare earth minerals in an effort to keep the Trump administration engaged in supporting the country militarily in its fight with Russia.