Europe's participation in Ukraine peace talks will be needed but Moscow first wants to build trust with Washington, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday, while suggesting that a deal to end the conflict may still be far off.

In an interview broadcast on Monday, President Vladimir Putin said U.S. companies stood to profit in Russia, but suggested a Ukraine peace deal was still far off.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Russia was not opposed to Europe's involvement in Russia-U.S. peace talks aimed at settling the conflict in Ukraine, but noted that Brussels had long rejected any dialogue with Moscow.

Moscow would be open to allowing U.S. access to Russia’s rare minerals, President Vladimir Putin said Monday, an apparent counteroffer and pressure tactic as the Trump administration pushes Ukraine to sign over half its mineral wealth as repayment for U.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin offered the U.S. the opportunity for joint exploration of the country's rare earth metals deposits, as well as the supply of aluminum to the U.S. domestic market, outlining a future economic deal between the two countries.

Vladimir Putin is willing to cooperate economically with the USA, including in the energy sector and the extraction of rare earth minerals. The Kremlin's statement came after US President Donald Trump announced that he was engaged in "serious talks" with Russia regarding the end of the war in Ukraine and "trying to make economic deals" with Moscow,

Russian President Vladimir Putin convened a meeting on the development of the rare earth metals industry in Russia on the evening of Monday, February 24, Russian media reports. Putin stated that rare earth metals are critically important for microelectronics,