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The Ukrainian mineral riches in Trump’s sights

Donald Trump’s “Metal Minerals” offered to Ukraine last week shed light on the rare and rare metal resources in the country, which Washington wants its rights in response to last military support.

Ukraine has large underground deposits With a value of up to 11.5 Tina Of critical minerals, including lithium, graphite, cobalt, titanium and rare land such as gallium, which are necessary for a group of industries from defense to electric cars.

But these uncommon deposits in Europe were not subject to any important exploration or development – which take years even in the shadow of stable states. The data also lacks the quality of reserves, which is the information that investors need before pouring millions into new mines.

The interest of the American president follows his audio show Buy GreenlandAlso rich in critical minerals. Western countries are racing to Ensuring alternative sources for rare land To China, which dominates the global supply chain.

What is the rare land and critical minerals that Ukraine has?

The soil in Ukraine increases 10 percent of the world’s reserves From lithium, used in battery production, according to government figures. Reserves appear across about 820 square kilometers, but none of them have yet been extracted.

Among the rare Earth, Ukraine has large reserves installed from zirconium, and used in jet engines and scandium, both of which have not yet been mined. Some of its deposits from Tantalum, used in semiconductors, nebium, which have super delivery properties, and the metal brillium is being extracted in the aviation sector on a small scale, but its capabilities, as Ukrainian officials say.

Pelocozminevka rocks of the Cretaceous era
The Donet Ridge in eastern Ukraine, which is occupied by a Russian, holds valuable deposits of critical minerals © International photos Ukraine/Getty Embs

Ukrainian officials also say that their country is in the world’s ten positions to obtain titanium reserves, and is used in missiles, aircraft and ships. However, only about 10 percent of its installed reserves are developed.

Prime Minister Dennis Shmeisal argued earlier this month that Ukraine could replace Russian titanium imports in Europe. But Roman Obimkh, the former general manager of the Ukrainian geological survey, said last week that there was no “modern evaluation” of the rare land reserves in Ukraine, and estimates were based on old studies in the Soviet era.

The metal discourse reached a “heavy political situation. Pressillin Baskran, director of the center for strategic and international studies, said that the data is not modern, and we have little information about what is there.

Where are the natural resources?

The Ukrainian geological service says that the government is preparing for about 100 joint licensing sites, but it has revealed a few details.

Metal resources are located in Ukraine throughout the country, but since the full invasion in 2022, there are up to 20 percent in areas under Russian control, according to Kiev’s estimates.

Critical Metals Corp, which is based in Australia, bought licenses to two higher lithium deposits in late 2021, just three months before the start of Russia’s attack. Its president, Tony Sig, told the Financial Times that one of them, the deposits of Shevshenko in the east, had fallen under Russian control.

“He went. He said,” We will never get it, “adding that the Dobra deposit in the West remains a” jewel in the crown. ”

Sage, whose company also has a mining license in Greenland, said he was “very excited” about the US -Russia’s conversations that Trump started. “For our company, it will be great if there is a decision.”

What does the United States want?

Trump said last week that the United States was worth $ 500 billion from Ukraine resources – from metal deposits to oil, gas and even infrastructure such as ports – in exchange for previous military aid to defense against Russia.

This is much more than a total of 69.2 billion dollars in the military aid provided by Washington since 2014, according to Foreign Ministry statistics.

Zelenskyy has RejectAny deals on metal resources should be linked to the security guarantee in the United States after the conflict, according to four people familiar with negotiations. It is also keen that the European Union and other countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada participate in exploiting future natural resources.

What are the complications?

Investors and experts say the barriers are important to develop these mining projects: complex government bureaucracy, government regulations, and limited access to geological data and challenges in land securing.

Russia’s continuous attacks on energy infrastructure forced some mining operations to shift to generators, which prompted the cost of extraction and transportation of minerals.

“While Ukraine may have metal capabilities for various goods, the steel and virus in force can be revived, its future is very uncertain,” said Jack Blue, Jack Pedder, founder of the Market Intelligence Project Blue project.

This “does not bode well to invest in projects that can take decades to finance, develop and form.”

The remains of the thermal power station after a missile strike last October in Kiev Province
The remains of the thermal power plant after a missile strike last October in Kiev Province: Russia targeted the energy production sector in Ukraine © International photos Ukraine/Getty Embs

Bill Hunt analysts said on Monday that the Swiss -based Ferrexpo company has a mining and raw production process in Ukraine asking “a major investment” to maintain production “after several years of restricted activities.

“Once the hostilities stopped, we doubt that the greatest risk will become a guarantee of skilled employees,” they added.

The volt resources listed in the Australian list stopped production in the graphite mining process in Zavalievsky at the end of last year due to difficult circumstances.

Did Zelenskyy mistake at his stadium to Trump?

Zelenskyy put for the first time the idea of ​​providing mining rights to American companies as part of the “Peace Plan” He installed to Trump last year.

But European and Ukrainian officials told FT that Zelinski had made a strategic mistake by not including the total value or any details.

“I wrote as a seduction of Trump, it is clear that a European official is involved in talks with Kiev.” But lack of details means that Trump can maintain his price mainly. “

“Some about Zelinski regretted the way it was dealt with. The official added.

A senior Ukrainian official said that Zelinski should have been “clear” about those resources that are linked to “to” future guarantee. [American] Security assistance. “

Zelenskyy team is scrambling to reach attractive anti -anti -materials. Trump’s approach angered his European allies, as officials at the Munich Security Conference last weekend compared him to the “extortion mafia”, “usury” and “colonialism”.

Another European official said. “It is another order:” Pay this bill for the help we have already provided. “

Stephen Bernard’s maps fee

https://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net%2Fproduction%2F41d64e76-2a8f-4519-b532-0ef39fca44ab.jpg?source=next-article&fit=scale-down&quality=highest&width=700&dpr=1

2025-02-18 05:00:00

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