Why Trump wants Ukraine’s rare earths Known as the bread basket of Europe, Ukraine also boasts vast mineral resources.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has told Reuters he is ready to do a deal with U.S. President Donald Trump that includes U.S. involvement in developing Ukraine's huge deposits of rare earths and other critical minerals.
Trump said on February 3 that he wanted Ukraine to supply the U.S. with rare earths in return for financially supporting Kyiv's war effort against Russia.
About 40% of Ukraine's metal resources are now under Russian occupation, according to estimates by Ukrainian think-tanks We Build Ukraine and the National Institute of Strategic Studies, citing data up to the first half of 2024.
According to the Institute of Geology, Ukraine possesses rare earth elements such as lanthanum and cerium, used in TVs and lighting; neodymium, used in wind turbines and EV batteries; and erbium and yttrium, whose applications range from nuclear power to lasers.
