**Russia’s Putin Discusses Rare Earth Metals and Ukraine**
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with officials on February 24 to talk about producing rare earth metals. He said it was a strategic reserve that would help Russia grow economically and be more competitive globally.
Putin emphasized the importance of a new national project called “New Materials and Chemistry.” This project aims to strengthen Russia’s domestic industry by developing a full cycle of rare and rare-earth metal production, from extraction to high-tech manufacturing. The goal is to increase production significantly.
**Russia Not Affected by US-Ukraine Agreement**
In an interview with Pavel Zarubin, Putin talked about minerals again. He said that any potential agreement between the US and Ukraine over natural resources would not affect Russia. He pointed out that Russia has much larger reserves of rare earth metals than Ukraine.
Putin also suggested that US President Donald Trump has more freedom to handle Russia’s conflict with Ukraine than European leaders do. He praised Trump for saying what he thinks and doing what he wants, which is the privilege of a great power leader.
**Accusations Against Zelensky and Europe**
Putin accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of becoming a “toxic figure” for his country’s armed forces. He said that Zelensky blocks peace efforts and weakens Ukraine. Putin blamed Zelensky’s orders for the military’s losses and accused him of avoiding negotiations to delay elections.
Putin also dismissed Europe’s concerns over US-Russia talks. He told Europeans to think about how they ended up in their situation and stop making demands of Russia.
**Trump’s Proposal**
Finally, Putin welcomed Trump’s proposal to cut defense spending. He suggested that Russia and the US could agree to a 50% reduction in defense spending.
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