Home Europe

Russia Seizes Nearly 70% Of Ukraine’s $26 Trillion Mineral Wealth; Trump Eyes Rare Earths Deal With Kyiv

US President Donald Trump is pushing for a deal to secure Ukraine’s rare earth minerals in return for American aid as Kyiv battles Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reportedly responded positively to the proposal.

Trump, citing nearly US$300 billion in US support, emphasized the need for “equalization.” “Ukraine has very valuable rare earths,” he stated, hinting at a potential resource-for-aid arrangement.

“We’re looking to strike a deal where Ukraine secures what we’re giving them with their rare earths and other things,” he added, leaving the definition of “other things” ambiguous. “We’re going to stop that ridiculous war,” he added.

Zelenskyy, in response, signaled openness to “investment” from allies—so long as it strengthens Ukraine’s fight against Russia. He confirmed that discussions on rare earth minerals had started months ago. “I talked about this back in September when we met with President Trump,” he revealed.

Interestingly, Ukrainian media earlier suggested that the idea may have originated in Kyiv—not Washington—as a way to ensure continued US weapons supply. Reports indicate that Zelenskyy’s team even delayed a critical minerals deal with the Biden administration to use it as leverage if Trump returned to power.

However, there’s a major catch— recent reports suggest that Moscow has seized control of up to 70% of Ukraine’s mineral resources, with the richest deposits located in the occupied regions of Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Luhansk.

What’s Beneath Ukraine’s Soil?

What exactly does Ukraine have beneath its war-torn soil that has drawn global attention? A goldmine of critical minerals – making the country a potential powerhouse in the global raw materials market.




Ukraine’s mineral wealth. Credits SecDev on Platform X.

Ukraine is rich in critical minerals and rare earth elements essential for various modern technologies, including batteries, magnets, catalysts, and electronic components. These materials are crucial across sectors such as consumer electronics, healthcare, transportation, power generation, petroleum refining, and defense technologies.

The country is home to 20 critical minerals and metals, positioning it as one of the top 10 global suppliers with approximately 5% of the world’s total supply.

Among these are rare earth metals like titanium, lithium, beryllium, manganese, gallium, uranium, zirconium, graphite, apatite, fluorite, and nickel, according to the World Economic Forum.

As per ‘the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine’ –

Titanium: Ukraine leads Europe in titanium reserves and ranks among the top ten globally, producing 7% of the world’s supply. With 28 known fields, it also yields zirconium as a byproduct. The main titanium-containing minerals are ilmenite and rutile.

Lithium: Ukraine holds a third of Europe’s lithium reserves, representing nearly 3% of global supplies.

Graphite: Ukraine possesses 20% of the world’s graphite resources, with reserves of around 19 million tons of ore containing 5-8% natural graphite. The country is one of the top five global reserves holders.

Nickel & Cobalt: Ukraine is home to 12 silicate nickel fields, which also contain cobalt as a byproduct. The country’s cobalt reserves are estimated at up to 9,000 tons. However, Ukraine’s Pobuzhsky ferronickel plant still relies on importing nickel and cobalt raw materials for its industrial needs.

Read More

Exit mobile version