Many of the countries where Trump is pursuing mining rights want something in return. 

Ukraine suggested mineral access to Trump to secure U.S. support against Russia, but those negotiations sputtered after Trump demanded more from the Ukrainian economy. The Democratic Republic of Congo wants Washington’s help against a rebel group and would provide access to mines to get it. And Denmark is floating mining contracts and military basing opportunities in hopes of rebuffing Trump’s demand to own Greenland, part of its kingdom.

Senior officials including national security adviser Mike Waltz are leading the hunt for mining contracts. Massad Boulos, father-in-law of Trump’s daughter, Tiffany Trump, is helping the administration obtain mining contracts as a senior adviser for African affairs. Trump wants the U.S. to better compete with the extractionary relationships China has established in regions including Africa and Latin America.

“Prioritizing critical minerals in our foreign policy not only helps power the American economy but also eliminates dependency on global competitors such as China,” said National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes.

Trump’s mineral zeal is a facet of a transactional foreign policy under which he is reluctant to give anything away without compensation, said a veteran of Trump’s first administration who sought to convince him to provide more aid. 

During his first term, Trump tried to boost U.S. refining and extraction of copper, nickel, lithium and cobalt. When he was hesitant to keep U.S. troops in Syria, aides and allies convinced him to maintain a small contingent there to help extract oil. 

Before Trump’s re-election, at a meeting in New York City last September, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reminded him of Ukraine’s mineral wealth as a reason to continue supporting the country’s fight against Russia, a person who attended the meeting said.

Zelensky talked about the country’s lithium and uranium, the person said. A Russian victory would put Ukraine’s lithium and uranium at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s command, Zelensky told Trump.

Trump told an ally last year that he wanted up to half of Ukraine’s minerals committed to the U.S. The U.S. deserved it, he said, for economic and military aid extended to Ukraine. 

After Trump’s re-election, he repeatedly said he was open to exchanging U.S. support for Ukraine’s “rare earths,” leading to draft arrangements presented through March. 

The latest proposal goes further. A plan presented in March would allow the U.S. to draw profits from Ukrainian projects across metals, oil, gas and other natural resources, as well as infrastructure projects including ports and pipelines. 

Zelensky’s administration said it needs time to review the deal, angering an impatient Trump. “I see he’s trying to back out of the rare-earth deal. And if he does that, he’s got some problems. Big, big problems,” Trump said on Sunday. 

Mining in Ukraine presents challenges for Trump. Kyiv estimates it has about 5% of the world’s most critical raw materials, but that hasn’t been verified. Some lie under territory controlled by Russia. And Russia’s continuing threats against Ukraine might discourage U.S. companies from developing operations in a country with no active mines.

The DRC’s president, Félix Tshisekedi, has offered mining opportunities for a possible U.S. sovereign wealth fund. He named an envoy who has invited Trump administration officials to visit. A State Department advance team toured mines in the DRC this week, a person familiar with the visit said. U.S. mining companies including KoBold, backed by billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, have shown interest.

Tshisekedi wants the U.S. to help repel a Rwanda-backed rebel force, M23, in the DRC’s east. The Trump administration placed sanctions on a senior Rwandan leader and a top member of the group, but the DRC wants more support. 

Boulos in March met separately with representatives from Rwanda and the DRC in Washington, hoping to negotiate an end to the fighting. The administration worries companies won’t invest in the DRC if war continues to rage around them, people familiar with the situation said. 

Boulos visited the DRC, Rwanda and other countries in the region this week in pursuit of peace and U.S. investment opportunities, the State Department said.

Copenhagen and Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, have resisted Trump’s suggestions to cede the territory to the U.S. Polling shows most Greenlanders don’t want to form part of the U.S.

Danish officials have told U.S. counterparts they would be open to more American military facilities on the islands and mining contracts for U.S. companies. Trump insists U.S. control of Greenland is the only outcome he wants.

“We need Greenland,” he told NBC News on Sunday.