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.

Ukraine has already emphasized that by supporting its war effort, the U.S. could get access to the country’s wealth of critical minerals like lithium and uranium.

President Donald Trump said his administration wants an agreement with Ukraine for the war-torn country to offer access to its critical mineral resources in return for aiding its defense against Russia.