On February 3, US President Donald Trump raised the issue of rare Ukraine minerals, and quickly found that he wanted it more than his desire to stop the Russian war that has been going on for 3 years, and that its bodies were a major condition in front of Kiev to obtain Washington’s support for money and weapons.
Trump appointed 50% of these minerals, or up to $ 500 billion, because Ukraine is a city originally for his country with 300 billion over the course of the war, he said; Which was denied and refuted by Ukrainian President Folodimir Zellinski.
Iron and manganese wealth
Thus, the subject of minerals was the subject of controversy, criticism and accusations between the two presidents; But it has also become a major place of great local and international question about the size and importance of Ukraine’s important and rare metal wealth, which many Ukrainians themselves do not know.
In the book “The Physical Geography of Ukraine”, the eighth grade students in the country’s intermediate schools learn that “Ukraine is ranked first in European in terms of iron reserves, manganese, titanium, uranium ore, and second place after Spain in terms of mercury ore reserves.”
They also learn that “Ukraine has 10-16% of iron reserves globally, with a size of 27 billion tons, and 20-42% of the global manganese reserves, with a size of 2.5 billion tons; and it is one of the 5 richest countries with graphite reserves.”
In general, the lands of Ukraine include 342 thousand tons of aluminum, 147 thousand tons of copper, 60 thousand tons of zinc, 8.2 thousand tons of bullets, and 5.3 thousand tons of nickel, in addition to hundreds of tons of tin, tingstin, cobalt and moybophine And others.
Rare mineral land
With regard to rare minerals:
- Ukraine occupies the undisputed lead in the European continent, as its territory includes 22 rarely out of 30 minerals used by the countries of the continent, and 50 minerals classified by the United States as “extreme importance”, with a total value of about 15 trillion dollars.
- Globally, Ukraine is fourth (alongside India, Brazil and Vietnam) in the volume of rare metal reserves, after China (68%of reserves), then America (12%), then Australia (5%).
- According to the “Forbes Ukraine” magazine, the country owns about 10% of the world’s reserves (and the largest in European reserves) of the lithium metal used in the production of batteries, with an estimated size of about 500 thousand tons.
- Ukraine has about 90 tons of zirconium used in jet engines.
- Ukraine is also among the 10 most prominent countries rich in titanium metal, used in the production of missiles, aircraft and ships, with a size of 2.3 thousand tons.
In general, the lands of Ukraine include 660 tons of vanadium, 90 tons of zirconium, 50 tons of nubium, 50 tons of cadmium, also 15 tons of tantalum, 5 tons of gallium, 1.8 tons of serum, as well as 1.5 tons of Andium , Ceinium pace, beanium home, 0.8 tons of Etrium, As well as half a ton for both telorium, scandium, gearmanium, and havhenium separately.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9mjbosgkla
But the “Forbes Ukraine” magazine indicates that the Ukrainian reserves may be much greater, because Ukraine has not occurred official data related to its natural wealth since the beginning of 2005, and the country’s mines do not extract more than 10% of the confirmed reserves of rare minerals; Investing in this field will be long.
However, Ukrainian minerals and steel exports have occupied 26.3% of the country’s economy before the war, and 20% of GDP, and the Ukraine treasury also introduced about 40% of foreign exchange.
Where is the minerals of Ukraine?
On the basis of the foregoing, Ukraine seems to cram on treasures and lazy about its extraction and investment; But these treasures have turned a “curse” on it since 2014, if you will, and almost ended its presence as a state in 2022.
All sources indicate that 70% of the minerals of Ukraine, especially the rare ones, are located in the provinces of Logansk and Dunitsk (which together constitute what is known as the region of Donbas), in addition to the provinces of Zabarujia and Denipoproprofrovsk, all in the east and southeast of the country.
Russia is currently controlling 98% of Logansk, and about 60% of Donetsk, while it occupies about 30% of Zaparujia, and is almost daily bombardment of the Crevi Rie city, south of the Dniprobrofrovsk province, rich in mines.
Ukraine minerals are also distributed on Boltava provinces in the center, and Chiriniev, Kiev and Ghettimeer in the north, which were entered by Russian forces on February 24, 2022, and then came out of it after about 5 weeks of violent fighting.
Thus, Russia is currently under the control of 20% of Ukraine’s mineral wealth between fields and mines, according to the Government Center for Geology Research, the last of which was the “Shevchinski” mine of the Lithium metal, which moved to its control weeks ago in Donetsk Province.
Taste or food for Trump?
Because many officials and observers assert that one of Russia’s goals is to control Ukraine’s wealth, some see that it is a “taste” for Trump, which may push the United States to confront a future with Russia, while others see it as food that raises his appetite as a businessman before becoming president.
Supporters of the theory of bait are few, and often from the Russians, while the Ukrainians, they see the minerals, the title “A difficult deal” between their country and the United States, because it has a lifeline in the midst of war, even if the demons lie in its details.
Yaroslav Galileo, Deputy Director of the National Institute for Strategic Studies in Kiev, said in a previous interview with Al -Jazeera Net: Because it does not extract everything that needs, “America depends by 80% on the imports of rare minerals from China, so the deal is unable to Trump because it has an alternative About the largest economic enemy, or a diversification of the sources, at least limits the American industry’s need for Chinese materials.
Red terms and line
On the other hand, the writer and political analyst, Olexander Bali, told Al -Jazeera Net: “The Ukrainians return to the Oligarish control over the country’s resources within 30 years; I do not think they are opposed to Trump’s investment and behind him American companies; but for a feasibility.”
He adds: “We were able to deal with Trump with his browser provocative style.
He continued, explaining: “We do not have money that falls from the sky to deal with superficiality and naivety with Trump’s conditions and accept it. I think the deal will take place, but after you discuss and adjust the details, and that the condition of obtaining aid during the war and security guarantees after that will be a red line that is not waived in the deal, even And if we are the most needed for money and weapons, “he said.
