Geologist explains why Trump wants Ukraine's mineral resources so badly
At a meeting in February 2025 between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy aimed to conclude an agreement on Ukraine's mineral resource interests, but an unprecedented heated
What's so special about Ukraine's minerals? A geologist explains
https://theconversation.com/whats-so-special-about-ukraines-minerals-a-geologist-explains-251551
Ukraine is famous as one of the world's leading grain-producing regions, but according to Munira Raji, a geological researcher at the University of Plymouth in the UK, the ' Ukrainian Shield ' spreads underground and is attracting attention as one of the world's largest.
The yellow area marked '1' in the diagram below is the Ukrainian Shield.
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The shield is an exposed area of crystalline rock formed in the Precambrian era more than 2.5 billion years ago, and is the oldest and most stable geological structure on Earth.
Over time, geological processes such as volcanic activity and mountain building have formed deposits in the shield that are rich in rare earth elements, as well as lithium, graphite, manganese, titanium and other resources essential to modern industry.
Ukraine's vast shield of land contains deposits of 22 of the 34 critical minerals the EU has designated as essential to energy security, making it one of the world's most resource-rich countries.
Of particular note is lithium, which is essential for many products and energy systems, from smartphone and EV batteries to renewable energy. Due to increased demand in recent years, the price of lithium has soared from $1,500 (approximately 220,000 yen) per ton in the 1990s to $20,000 (approximately 3 million yen), and demand is expected to expand another 40 times by 2040.
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Ukraine has three major lithium deposits, the most notable of which is the Shevchenkivske deposit in Donetsk Oblast, which Russia unilaterally declared annexed, which is estimated to contain 13.8 million tonnes of lithium ore.
There are also two lithium deposits in the Kirovohrad Oblast region in central Ukraine, in Porokhivske and Stankvadske. Although the Porokhivske deposit has relatively small reserves of around 270,000 tonnes, it is said to be one of the best lithium mining areas in Europe due to its good geological conditions and ease of mining.
In addition, Ukraine has the largest reserves in Europe of uranium, which is essential for nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons, and manganese, which is used in steel and battery manufacturing, and also has abundant reserves of rare earth elements such as neodymium and dysprosium , which are necessary for many products such as smartphones and motors. However, resource mining in Ukraine has been halted and infrastructure has been destroyed due to the war with Russia, leaving many of its abundant resources untouched.
In fact, mineral resources are abundant in the United States; for example, the largest lithium deposit in history was discovered in 2023.
Lithium deposits discovered in the US may contain 40 million tons of lithium, the largest amount ever - GIGAZINE
However, due to environmental regulations and high labor costs, the United States relies on foreign countries for much of its resource extraction and refining, and in particular relies on imports of some important minerals from China. If the United States could gain access to Ukraine's resources in exchange for military protection, it would be able to reduce its dependence on China.
The mineral resources agreement that President Trump was aiming to conclude with Ukraine was to contribute 50% of future revenues from Ukraine's mineral resources, oil, and natural gas, including extractable materials, to a reconstruction investment fund jointly managed by the two countries. At the time of writing, the two countries are continuing discussions to conclude the agreement, but it is unclear whether the contents of the agreement, which once collapsed, have been changed.
'Ukraine's abundant mineral resources firmly position it as a potential leader in the clean energy revolution,' said Raji. 'Once the war ends and the country is stable again, Ukraine will have a golden opportunity to rebuild the global supply chain of critical minerals. Even with half of its supply allocated to the United States, Ukraine will be able to fund domestic infrastructure, industrial growth, jobs and economic recovery.'
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