The occupied territories hold minerals that are worth trillions; Ukraine will not give these resources away but will allow its allies to earn profit on reconstruction.

The value of Ukrainian minerals in the Russian-occupied territories is estimated at trillions of dollars, which means that sanctions that lead to Russian financial losses of $10-20B in specific sectors are insufficient, given that the invaders can compensate for these losses using Ukraine’s stolen resources. In addition, in the event of a ceasefire without these territories being liberated, Moscow can use the captured resources to prepare for its next war.

Therefore, President Zelenskyy called on the allies to tighten sanctions against Russia to the greatest possible degree. “We need to stop Putin and protect what we have – the very rich Dnipro region, central Ukraine,” he said.

At the same time, Zelenskyy explained that Ukraine is offering the US a partnership in extracting Ukrainian natural resources, not their transfer, and the leading role in the country’s reconstruction.

“The Americans helped the most, and therefore, the Americans should earn the most,” the Ukrainian leader clarified.