According to some sources, Donald Trump And Volodymyr Zelensky they would be about to sign the agreement on rare earth (Rare Earth Elements – Ree), according to which Ukraine would give in these resources to the United States in exchange for financial and military aid. Even if this agreement should be successful, there is a clarification that must be made regarding the mining resources to which Trump refers. Lands’ deposits are actually present in Ukraine, but It is not clear how many they contain. Furthermore, currently are not exploited and are largely found in the eastern regions already occupied by the Russia of Putin. So Donald Trump, when he speaks of rare lands, refers to generically to Critic raw materials of which rare lands are part, but which include many other metals of which Ukraine is rich, fundamental for industry. In Ukraine they are mainly found titanium, graphite, lithium And manganese and other resources, which, although not critical raw materials, are as important as theuranium, The iron el ‘gold.
The map of the main critical raw materials in Ukraine
Ukraine hosts about 20,000 deposits they provide overall 116 different types of minerals. Some of these are a source of critical raw materials that fall into the list drawn up in 2023 by the European Commission. These are materials that cover strategic importance from an economic point of view, but whose supply is limited. Before the Russian invasion, the Ukrainian deputy duty for environmental protection and natural resources Svetlana Grinchuk said that the 5% of all global critical raw materials It is located in Ukraine. To date about the 19% of these deposits However, it is located in the territory occupied by Russia.
The map of the critical raw materials in Ukraine shows that the most popular deposits in the country are those of titaniumpresent along a band that extends From North-West to South-East Along the course of the Dnepr river. Ukraine hosts the largest titanium reserves in Europe and the 7% of the world ones. There are 40 deposited deposits, 12 of which are exploited and where the titanium is extracted from the Ilmeni mineral. Some are found in the territories already occupied by Russia.
Another important raw material of Ukraine is the graphiteof which the country holds well 20% of the world reserves. Graphite is mainly found inCentral Ukrainein the Kirovohrad region, but some deposits are found in territories occupied by Russia. It is estimated that graphite reserves amounted to 6 million tons. The lithium is present in the deposits of the Donetsk region, in conflict areas in Eastern Ukraineand in the deposits of Polokhivka and Stankuvate in the Kirovograd region, in Central Ukraine. It is estimated that the country guests 500,000 tons lithium.
Deposits of manganese are present in the central-eastern part of Ukrainein the Dnipropetrovs’k region and in that, occupied by Russia, of Zaporizhzia. It is estimated that the resources of this material are very abundant and that they amounted to beyond 2 billion tons. The berylliumof which we speak much less but widely used in the medical, nuclear and electronic sectors, is present in the deposit of Perha, in the ZHYTOMYR region in North-west of the country.
The critical raw materials are also part of the rare earth appointed by Trump, who include 17 chemical elements including Europe, lutezio And ceriumused in the creation of smartphones and electric cars, wind turbines and turbines. Rare lands in Ukraine are present in some deposits, of which the largest is in Azov depositwhich is located in the eastern part occupied by Russia. The extent of these resources currently It is not known with precision and theirs extraction has not yet begun nor is it known whether it is convenient from an economic point of view.
Other critical raw materials present in Ukraine are the galliumThe nickelthealuminumThe copperThe niobium and the tantalio. On the Ukrainian territory there are also many deposits which, although not providing criticism raw materials, are the source of other very important mining resources, for example theuraniumThe ironlo zirconiumtheapatite and thegold.
