Trump offered Ukraine a "resource deal," but there is a nuance: what is wrong with the rare earth metals proposal

Donald Trump has offered to supply Ukraine with rare earth metals in exchange for continued American aid, but a significant portion of these resources are located in the occupied territories. This raises questions about the real possibility of such an agreement and its benefits for Ukraine.

The Associated Press writes about Trump's plans, quoting the president-elect. "We tell Ukraine that they have valuable rare earth metals, I want Ukraine to give us rare earth metals," Trump said.

This statement provoked a mixed reaction: some experts saw it as an attempt to tie US support to Washington's economic interests, while others saw it as a new level of strategic partnership. However, the main problem is that most of these resources are located in the territories temporarily occupied by Russia.

What are rare earth metals and why are they so important?

REMs are a group of 17 chemical elements that have unique magnetic, luminescent, and catalytic properties. They are widely used in the production of high-tech products:

• electronics (smartphones, laptops, processors);
• batteries for electric vehicles;
• military equipment (lasers, radars, missiles)
• medical equipment;
• magnets for wind turbines.

Due to their rarity and difficulty of extraction, these metals are strategically important for any country seeking technological development. Ukraine is one of the five European countries with the largest reserves of rare earth metals. According to various estimates, the country has about 5% of the world's reserves of critical raw materials, including lithium:

• Lithium – a key component for batteries, with total deposits estimated at 500,000 tons, the main deposits:

• Dobrovelychkivske (Kirovohrad region);
• Polokhivske (Dnipropetrovska oblast);
• Shevchenkivske (Donetsk region, currently occupied).
• Titanium is a critical metal for the aerospace and military industries, the largest deposits:
• Irshanske (Zhytomyr region);
• Samotkanske (Dnipro region);
• Occupied Crimea and Donetsk region.
• REMs (scandium, yttrium, lanthanides ) – found in the regions:
• Dnipropetrovska oblast (Zhovti Vody, Mazurivka, Safonivka);
• Kirovohrad region (Dobrovelychkivske deposit);
• Zhytomyr region (Malynivske field);
• Zakarpattia (requires additional exploration).

Despite the rich reserves, about 33% of Ukraine's REM deposits are currently located in the occupied territories. This creates serious difficulties for the development of the extractive industry and makes Ukraine even more dependent on external partners.

The occupation of Crimea and parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts has effectively deprived Ukraine of control over a significant portion of its reserves of titanium, lithium, and some rare earth metals. This explains the US interest in securing access to the resources that are still under Ukrainian control.

China leads the global market for mining and processing of REMs, controlling about 60% of the world's reserves. This poses a serious risk to the United States and Europe, which are heavily dependent on Chinese supplies.

That is why Washington is looking for new suppliers of strategic resources. Ukraine, with its significant deposits, could become an important partner in this area. However, according to Trump's words, his administration is not just interested in cooperation, but actually makes the supply of REM a condition for further support of Ukraine.

As OBOZ.UA reported earlier, Trump has deliberately launched an economic war in which the rules of the game are changing at his own will, and the ultimate goals remain uncertain. By using tariffs as a tool of political blackmail, he is creating controlled chaos that allows him to declare himself a winner at any time – when it is beneficial to his rating.

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