Conflict in Ukraine is not only a military conflict but also a battle for strategic resource control.
According to the German DW page, the US is seeking to approach Ukrainian rare land minerals - extremely important resources for high technology and defense. However, Russia may have partially controlled, while the EU did not want to be left behind.
The rare land is considered to be Ukraine's "trump card" to "bargain" in exchange for US and EU aid. This is an essential material in the production of smartphones, electric vehicles, modern weapons and the aerospace industry. Currently, China dominates the global rare land market, providing about 40% of the EU needs.
Ukraine possesses huge rare land resources, including Titanium, Lithium, Beryllium, Manganese, Gallium, Uranium, Zirconium, Graphite, and many other important minerals.
NATO once emphasized: “The strategic importance of Ukrainian rare earth minerals is not to be overlooked. The country can become a key supplier worldwide. ”
Ukraine is said to have the largest Titanium reserves in Europe, accounting for about 7% of global reserves. This is an essential metal for the aerospace, health, car and shipbuilding industry.
Ukraine also holds one of the largest lithium reserves in Europe, about 500,000 tons. This is an important material for producing batteries, ceramics and glass.
Ukraine is also the world's 5th largest Gallium manufacturer, key metal for semiconductor and LED industry. In addition, Neon gas from Ukraine accounts for the majority of supply for the global semiconductor chip industry.
US President Donald Trump has announced that he will continue to continue the Ukrainian aid if Washington has Kiev's rare land access. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also pledged that countries that support Ukraine will receive a worthy "investment income" that implies that resources worth trillions of dollars.
EU also does not want to be left in this race. The European Commission has identified Ukraine as a potential supplier of more than 20 important minerals, while actively promoting Ukraine to integrate into the EU's resource strategy.
According to DW, despite owning resources treasure, Ukraine is not entirely controlled.
Ukrainian experts say that at least two of the four largest lithium mines may have fallen into Russia. The two areas rich in resources are Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk are currently controlled by Russia.
The actual level of Russia's actual control over these minerals is still unclear, but if Moscow is actually exploiting, this will be a serious strategic step back to the West.
Ukraine understands its strategic position in the global rare land race. Kiev is publicizing mineral data, providing legal measures to attract investment and ready to become part of the EU's supply chain.
However, there are still many challenges: stable legal framework, reasonable tax policy and long -term investment. Most importantly, whether Ukraine can retain control of these resources against the pressure from Russia and Western powers.
The battle for rare Ukrainian land will probably determine the geopolitical situation of Europe and the world in the coming decades.
