France and Ukraine have been engaged in discussions regarding the use of Ukrainian minerals for the French defence industry since October 2024, according to French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu.
The negotiations began last year when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during a visit to Paris, included the issue of raw materials in his strategic proposals. Lecornu stated that France requires these minerals to sustain the production of weapons systems over the next 30 to 40 years.
The talks come over a broader geopolitical competition for Ukraine’s mineral resources. US President Donald Trump had previously proposed a deal under which Ukraine would supply rare earth minerals to the United States in exchange for military aid. However, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz criticised the proposal, and Zelenskyy refused to sign the agreement, prompting the White House to call the decision short-sighted.
Zelenskyy suggested that the US could instead consider investing in mining projects on the Black Sea shelf, currently under Russian occupation. Despite initial resistance, Trump later stated his intention to renegotiate the deal, and his administration sent Ukraine a revised mining agreement.
As Kyiv continues talks with the US, the European Union has also put forward an alternative proposal to gain access to Ukraine’s mineral resources, adding another layer of complexity to the negotiations.
