Ukraine: These are the raw materials that attract Trump

The USA and Ukraine have agreed on a comprehensive raw material agreement. US President Donald Trump announced that the agreement should be signed when visiting the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj in Washington. The deal is lucrative for Trump because the Ukraine is rich in ores, minerals and gas deposits. The United States is given access to the important raw materials.

Below is an overview of the Raw materialsthat occur in Ukraine

According to its own statements, Ukraine has the occurrence of 22 of the 34 minerals, which were classified as critical by the European Union. This includes industrial and building materials, iron alloys, noble and non-ferrous metals as well as some rare earths. According to the Ukrainian Institute of Geology, the country has rare earths such as Lanthan and CER, which are used in televisions and lighting systems. Neodymm, which is used in wind turbines and batteries for electric vehicles, is also available. Likewise, the Erbium and Yttrium, whose possible uses range from nuclear power to lasers. Research funded by the EU indicate that Ukraine has scandium reserves. Detailed data are secret.

According to the World Economic Forum, Ukraine is also a potential supplier of lithium, beryllium, manganese, gallium, zirconium, graphite, apatit, fluorite and nickel. According to the state geological service, the country has one of the largest confirmed lithium reserve in Europe, which is estimated at 500,000 tons. This trace element is essential for batteries, ceramics and glass. The titanium reserves are mainly in the northwest and in the middle of the country, while lithium occurs in the middle, east and southeast. The graphite supplies, an important part of batteries for electric vehicles and nuclear reactors, make up 20 percent of global resources. The occurrences are in the center and in the west. Ukraine also has considerable coal reserves, but most of which are under Russian control in the occupied areas.

According to mining and economic experts, Ukraine currently has no commercially operated mines for rare earths. In addition, the question remains whether the occurrence of rare earths are actually as great as the words of Trump sound. China is the world's largest producer of rare earths and many other important minerals. The People's Republic could drastically restrict export in the event of an escalating trade dispute with the USA. Rare earths are a group of 17 metals used to produce magnets used for electric vehicles, mobile phones, rocket systems and other electronic devices. There are no usable substitutes.

In the case of natural gas - enclosed shale gas - the Ukraine has occurred, which are estimated at 1 trillion cubic meters (in Europe only Norway has larger natural gas deposits with 1.53 trillion cubic meters). However, the sector is insufficiently developed because historical gas moved from Siberia and only prioritized the development of one's own occurrence when the Russian-Ukrainian conflict began. However, the latter is only possible under difficulties due to the now existing, war -related investment risk because international investors in particular have announced hesitation or existing contracts.

With 34 billion tons, Ukraine has the largest occurrence to Russia in Europe.

The war has caused great damage throughout Ukraine. Russia also controls a fifth of the Ukrainian territory. The majority of coal deposits that provided the steel industry before the war and are among the largest in Europe is in the east of the country and has been lost.

According to estimates by the Ukrainian thought factory WE Build Ukraine and the National Institute for Strategic Studies, around 40 percent of metal resources are under Russian control. Detailed breakdown was not made. The data dates from the first half of 2024. Since then, the Russian troops in the eastern region of Donetsk have been advanced. In January, Ukraine closed its only coke coal outside the city of Pokrowsk to try to conquer the Moscow armed forces. Russia occupied at least two Ukrainian lithium deposits during the war - one in Donetsk and another in the Saporischschja region in the southeast. Kyiv still controls lithium deposits in the central region of Kyrowohrad.

According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the government is working with western allies on projects to obtain critical materials. The government estimates the investment potential at around twelve to $ 15 billion by 2033. The state geological service stated that the government is preparing around 100 locations that are to be licensed and developed together. Although Ukraine has highly qualified workers and a good infrastructure, investors indicate a number of investment obstacles. This includes inefficient and complex regulatory procedures as well as difficulties in access to geological data and when purchasing land. The development of such projects would take years and require considerable preliminary investments, according to the investors.

Sources: Reuters, "country analyzes", ""