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Fred Fleitz to Newsmax: US-Ukraine Rare Minerals Agreement a '10-Year Deal'

By Sandy Fitzgerald | Thursday, 01 May 2025 10:44 AM EDT

The rare earth minerals agreement reached between the United States and Ukraine is a "10-year deal," as it takes about that long to set up a mine, and the United States must continue finding more sources of materials, former National Security Council chief of staff Fred Fleitz told Newsmax on Thursday.

"I think the most important aspect of this deal is that the United States has to find more sources of these critical minerals to break up the Chinese monopoly, and we need a lot of deals like this around the world," Fleitz said on "Wake Up America."

The deal, he added, is a "clear signal" from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he is grateful for the United States' support in the war against Russia and shows that he and President Donald Trump can work together.

"Trump wanted this very badly, and Zelenskyy had to give it to him," said Fleitz. "I think this cements the relationship between Trump and Zelenskyy to help end this war, and it puts pressure on [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to make a decision to finally accept Trump's offer to end the war."

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer, also on Thursday's show, said he thinks the deal is vital for the ongoing peace talks and gives the United States "skin in the game," which was necessary to give Ukraine support.

"It's going to take 10 years to get this thing going," Shaffer said. "So during those 10 years, that means U.S. interests regarding commercial expansion will come in. This gives us skin in the game, which is what I think was necessary."

He added that the United States could never put boots on the ground in Ukraine without increasing the war's scope and ferocity.

"Boots on the ground were never going to be there, so this is a good way of showing the Ukrainians, know we're with you," Shaffer said.

The deal also allows some pressure to be removed from Putin, said Shaffer.

"Part of what Putin has been demanding, the Russians have been demanding, is a dialog with Ukraine," said Shaffer. "This, I think more than anything else, opens that potential."

Putin has announced a three-day ceasefire from May 8-11 "as a bone to President Trump, saying, 'I am open to a form of ceasefire,'" he continued. "These two things together indicate that we may well be seeing progress finally in the talks to end the war, which is obviously what we all want, to see is ending the bloodshed."

Fleitz, however, said he thinks Trump's patience is running out with Putin, as the Russian drone strikes keep hitting Ukraine.

"He's very frustrated with Putin for not honoring his agreements to bring about at least partial ceasefires," said Fleitz. "The fact that Putin offered a ceasefire that doesn't take place until May 8 and only for three days was a cynical gesture."

He added that it's "frustrating" that Russia is "disrespecting President Trump" who has his whole national security team on the field.

"I think the time is coming, if we don't see movement quickly, Trump will walk away, and there will be extreme sanctions placed on Russia."

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