Moscow, 31 March 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Russia and the United States are discussing potential cooperation on Russian rare earth metal projects, according to a top official in Moscow.

Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, told the newspaper Izvestia that companies have already expressed interest in these ventures, though he did not provide further details.

"Rare earth metals and elements are an important area of cooperation, and we have certainly begun discussions on various rare earth projects in Russia," Dmitriev said in the interview published on Monday.

Dmitriev leads the Russian Direct Investment Fund and is a key player in Moscow's negotiations with Washington on normalizing ties.

Rare earths are metals essential to modern technology, including smartphones, laptops and electric cars.

US President Donald Trump has pledged to mend strained ties with Moscow and bring an end to the war Russia launched against Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin first proposed cooperation on raw materials in February. He noted that Russia’s deposits of these critical minerals far exceed those of Ukraine, a country with which Trump is also negotiating an agreement.

Trump warns of 'big , big problems' for Zelensky

Shortly after taking office in January, Trump tied military aid for Ukraine to access to its valuable rare earth minerals.

However, a deal that was set to be signed collapsed in February following a heated public dispute between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump at the White House.

There had been indications that the deal was back on track. But last week Zelensky repeatedly expressed frustration over the deal's new terms, which reportedly put the focus more firmly on US economic interests - without offering Kiev the security guarantees it desires.

Trump criticized Zelensky on Sunday, saying: "He's trying to back out of the rare earth deal. And if he does that, he's got some problems, big, big problems."