Newsletter, #7 (12 Mar 2025)
Overview of Ukraine's mineral wealth and its strategic importance
Ukraine possesses significant reserves of rare earth elements, a group of 17 chemically similar minerals essential for advanced technologies, including defense, electronics, and renewable energy. While these elements are relatively common worldwide, their extraction and refinement require complex processes, a sector currently dominated by China.
The exact volume and economic worth of Ukraine’s rare earth resources remain uncertain due to the lack of updated geological surveys. Much of the existing data dates back to the Soviet era and is considered unreliable. Some experts estimate that Ukraine holds valuable deposits of scandium, cerium, dysprosium, neodymium, and several other rare earth elements, though specific details remain classified.
In discussions about a potential mineral deal, former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed he sought access to $500 billion worth of rare earths from Ukraine. However, industry analysts argue this figure is highly exaggerated, as the entire global rare earth market is valued at approximately $12 billion.
