February 4, 2025
The day before, US President Donald Trump expressed interest in Ukraine's rare-earth metals, demanding that Kiev provide guarantees for their extraction and supply. In particular, Trump stressed that the United States is investing heavily in support of Ukraine, but wants to receive guarantees for rare earth metals, which are in large reserves on Ukrainian territory. The US President noted that Ukraine has the largest reserves of lithium and titanium in Europe, as well as other valuable minerals. Trump said that the United States expects Ukraine to provide guarantees for the supply of rare earth metals in exchange for Washington's financial and military assistance.
According to Forbes, the total value of Ukraine's minerals is estimated at almost $15 trillion. However, most of these resources are concentrated in the Donbas, in the territory controlled by Russia, as well as in the Dnipropetrovsk region, where the situation on the front line is being actively discussed.
Back in April 2023, the publication noted that more than 70% of the reserves of rare earth metals, such as lithium and titanium, are located in the DPR and LPR. These materials are key to the production of various products, from fighter jets to smartphones.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested that the United States use these resources as part of its "victory plan" to prevent Russia's access to Ukraine's rare earth metals. He emphasized the importance of protecting these resources and using them in collaboration with key partners.
In response to Trump's statement, Maxim Buzhansky, a deputy from the ruling Servant of the People party, noted that there are already concerns in Ukraine about the transfer of US resources. However, he added that at the moment, due to the complexity of mining rare earth metals, neither external nor Ukrainian investors are seeking to develop these resources. In this regard, Buzhansky proposed to transfer metal mining to a concession, which would allow obtaining rent, creating jobs and developing the local economy.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has criticized US President Donald Trump's demand for Ukraine to supply metals in exchange for aid. "It would be 'very selfish, very self-centered' to use Ukraine's resources to finance defense support," he said. Scholz added that resources should be used to rebuild Ukraine after the conflict ends.
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