America is determined for rare earth minerals. China was supplying the US with round 70% of all such minerals, however they’re not going to provide them to an enemy nation to create weapons. As I discussed yesterday, that is exactly why America is determined to entry Ukraine. I acquired a couple of feedback asking why the US has not begun digging, and sadly, they’re unable to succeed in these essential minerals as a result of ongoing struggle.
It’s estimated that Ukraine holds 5% of the world’s essential uncooked supplies. Ukrainian officers consider they’ve 19 million tonnes of graphite reserves and vital deposits of titanium, uncommon earth metals, and lithium. The present plan would require harvesting as much as HALF of Ukraine’s minerals and uncommon earth supplies.
On April 30, 2025, Ukraine and the US finalized a minerals deal and established a United States–Ukraine Reconstruction Funding Fund. Congress permitted a $50 million protection bundle to Ukraine by way of direct business gross sales (DCS). Trump is a businessman before everything—the mineral deal needed to be permitted earlier than he would approve of any support bundle. America now has preferential rights to extract minerals from Ukraine.
Why hasn’t the US begun digging? An estimated 50% of Ukrainian minerals are in areas beneath Russian management. The Donbas region, the Donetsk and Luhansk are wealthy in essential minerals, uncommon earth minerals, coal, and fuel. They host the Shevchenko lithium subject. Russia at the moment controls 40% of Ukraine’s steel sources and 56% of its coal reserves. Different important websites are inside a 10-mile radius of occupied enemy territory. Dnipropetrovsk & Kharkiv have uranium, however they’re unstable as a consequence of frontline advances. Zaporizhzhia has the uncommon earth components that America is looking for however it’s partially occupied by Russian troops and very harmful. Central and Western Ukraine could possibly be secure for extractions, however they’re far much less wealthy in minerals.
The place else can the West flip? Europe faces the identical disaster. Estonia has uncommon minerals, however not sufficient to satisfy demand, with the nation at the moment offering the US with 5% of its wants. Malaysia imports about 13% of US uncommon earth imports, with Japan offering one other 6%. Japan has minerals, however nonetheless imports from China. They plan to start extracting uncommon earth minerals from the Minami-Torishima Island in 2026, marking the world’s first large-scale mining operation 6,000 meters beneath the ocean. Scientists consider that the realm might comprise round 16 million tonnes of uncommon earth components, however that could be a mere estimate. Malaysia has a low mineral reserve compared to different nations and can’t be an alternate provider. Malaysia hosts the Lynas Company, the most important uncommon earths processor outdoors China, however the nation has modest reserves.
So whereas Ukraine could maintain practically $15 trillion price of essential minerals and 15% of the world’s reserves, they can’t be accessed as a result of ongoing struggle. China and Russia are plentiful in minerals and haven’t any restrictions in relation to weapon manufacturing. China has pioneered molten salt reactors to supply uranium and convert it into nuclear power. America’s enemies have a notable benefit proper now and there are not any dependable alternate options.
