Donald Trump’s proposal on a possible agreement for which the US continues to offer military assistance to Ukraine In exchange for access to rare minerals in the invaded country By Russia it has been positively received among the Ukrainians, who seek to strengthen the support of their key ally amid the growing uncertainty.
As he said to EFE The economist of the Center for Economic Strategy of Ukraine Volodimir Landa, Interest in Ukrainian minerals can help the country achieve just and lasting peace.
“If we have more foreign companies in Ukraine their governments will be interested in more than a high temporal fire and this would reduce the chances of a new Russian aggression”Said Landa, who was also an advisor to the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine.
Reference image. A lithium sample. Photo:Martin Bernetti / AFP
Mutual interest
President Volodimir Zelenski has already proposed to give access to rare Ukrainian minerals to receive more solid support during the meeting he held with Trump in September. This idea is also one of the proposals included in its ‘Plan for Victory’.
Zelenski on Tuesday reiterated his availability to this exchange by declaring that it is “totally fair” that Trump wants to benefit from these Ukrainian resources.
According to Landa, It is not yet completely clear to what resources Trump refers.
Rare earths such as the Scandio, the Irito or the Lantano are important for the production of electronic, explosive devices and nuclear equipment. Although the specific data on the available reserves are a state secret in Ukraine, The country is not considered rich in these resourcesaccording to the Center for Economic Strategy.
The president of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski. Photo:Daniel Berehulak/The New York Times
But the domain in this Chinese chapter, which extracts 68 % of what is extracted throughout the world from these metals, compared to the 12 % that Ee- UU, says Landa, points out, It could make Trump prioritize access to the amounts that Ukraine has to reduce this gap with Beijing before the geopolitical battle that is glimpsed with the Asian country.
Strategic minerals
The same argument serves strategic minerals such as titanium, lithium, nickel or cobalt, of which there is currently a very high demand due to its importance for technological production. The Ukrainian economist believes that these minerals are Trump’s main interest.
According to the Center for Economic Strategy, Ukraine has 8 million tons, about 1 % of world reserves, titanium, used in mechanical engineering. Before the Russian invasion in Ukraine, it was extracted between 6 and 7 % of the entire titanium that is taken from the earth globally.
Ukraine also has several lithium deposits, a crucial mineral for the production of rechargeable batteries. Ukrainian lithium reserves are estimated at 2 % of the global total. Ukraine is one of the most potential European countries in this regard, but some of its deposits are in occupied areas or currently in dispute.
Nickel and cobalt are also of great interest to the industry both in the US and in the EU.
A Ukrainian military. Photo:Photo: Nurphoto. Getty via.
While some Ukrainians are pronounced against the idea of delivering their critical resources and warn of possible risks to the environment, Most see the question in a pragmatic way.
In your see, The entry of companies from allied countries in the sector would be a way to attract more support, especially in a context of uncertainty aid and of reluctance among their foreign partners when inviting Ukraine to enter the NATO or send peace forces to their territory.
A security guarantee
The objective of Ukraine is to survive war and guarantee a lasting peace, explains Landa, who points out that The country is willing to share a part of its future economic prosperity in exchange for security.
“The presence of commercial interests and investments of Western companies in Ukraine is one of the best security guarantees for our future,” writes Ilona SoloGoub, of the Voxukraine analysis platform.
For his part, the president of the kyiv Economy School, Timofi Milovánov, argues in his X account that Trump has not yet developed a clear policy about Ukraine and offering access to natural resources can be a good way to decant the balance in favor of kyiv.
The president of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelenski (I) and the president of the United States, Donald Trump (D). Photo:Saul Loeb / AFP
Currently, the main asset of the Ukrainian extractive industry is the recently privatized UMCC-Titanium. The company has a value of about 100 million euros, a much lower amount than the one that requires Ukraine in help, says Landa.
But materializing the potential of its rare minerals will require an improvement in public regulations and the elimination of other barriers for investment.
“Ukraine will have to do your homework and offer acceptable options to our international partners,” says the economist of the Center for Economic Strategy.
(Tagstotranslate) Ukraine
Source link
