Moscow and Washington have begun talks on joint rare earth metals and other projects in Russia, a senior Kremlin official has claimed.
Vladimir Putin in February said he was willing to work with U.S. companies to mine rare earth deposits in Russia and in Russian-occupied Ukraine.
In remarks published on Monday by the Izvestia news outlet, Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian special envoy on international economic and investment cooperation, said that talks were now underway.
“Rare earth metals are an important area for cooperation, and, of course, we have begun discussions on various rare earth metals and (other) projects in Russia,” said Dmitriev, who is also the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund.
Dmitriev, who was part of Russia's negotiating team at talks with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia in February, said some companies have already shown interest in the project. He did not name any companies and did not reveal further details.
Izvestia reported the cooperation may be further discussed at the next round of Russia-U.S. talks that may take place in mid-April in Saudi Arabia.
Trump keen on Russian resources
Rare earths and other critical metals, essential for high-tech industries, have gained global attention in recent months as U.S. President Donald Trump spurred efforts to counter China's dominance in the sector.
In an interview with Fox News on March 18, Trump expressed interest in Russia's natural resources.
In February, the Kremlin proposed a deal on Russian natural resources to Trump's team. At that time, Dmitriev announced Russia's desire to engage in joint projects with the U.S. in the Arctic.
On February 24, Putin offered to sell Russian rare-earth minerals to the United States, including from areas of Ukraine occupied by Russia, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
During a conversation with journalists on March 31, Trump alleged that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy intends to back out of the mineral deal and has cautioned him of “big problems” if he proceeds with this decision.
