As bombs fall and borders shift in 2025, Ukraine’s soil holds more than just battle scars—it harbors rare earth elements (REEs) and critical minerals that the UK, US, EU, and Russia desperately crave. These resources—neodymium for missiles, lithium for batteries, titanium for jets—are not just economic assets; they’re weapons in a geopolitical war intensified by Russia’s invasion. This advanced research blog post argues that Ukraine’s mineral wealth is a linchpin in the conflict, with the UK, US, and EU racing to secure it against Russia’s grasp. Backed by hard data, expert quotes, and public statements, we’ll explore what are the rare earth elements in Ukraine that the UK, US, EU, and Russia urgently need—and how this scramble could dictate the war’s outcome.
What Are Rare Earth Elements?
Rare earth elements are a group of 17 metals—including the 15 lanthanides, plus scandium and yttrium—prized for their unique magnetic, luminescent, and conductive properties. From neodymium in electric vehicle (EV) motors to cerium in catalytic converters, these elements are the backbone of modern technology, defense systems, and green energy solutions. Ukraine’s reserves of these REEs, though not fully exploited, have caught the eye of global powers amid a supply chain scramble dominated by China, which controls 60% of global production and 90% of processing (Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2024).
Credit: https://netl.doe.gov/sites/default/files/2024-06/Fig2-REEs_applications.png
Ukraine’s geological wealth isn’t limited to REEs. It also boasts critical minerals like lithium, titanium, and uranium—resources equally vital for batteries, aerospace, and nuclear energy. As of March, 2025, the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war has only intensified the urgency for the UK, US, and Russia to secure these assets.
Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in Ukraine
Ukraine holds deposits of several rare earth elements, though detailed geological data is often classified or incomplete due to the ongoing war and historical underinvestment. The following REEs have been identified in Ukraine:
- Lanthanum and Cerium: Used in lighting, TVs, catalytic converters, and glass polishing. Ukraine has notable reserves of these lighter rare earths, which are relatively abundant globally but still critical for industrial applications.
- Neodymium: Essential for powerful magnets in wind turbines, electric vehicle motors, and defense systems like missile guidance. Ukraine’s neodymium deposits are part of its appeal for high-tech industries.
- Erbium and Yttrium: Employed in lasers, nuclear technology, and phosphors for displays. These heavier rare earths add to Ukraine’s strategic value.
- Scandium: A rarer REE used in aerospace alloys and solid oxide fuel cells. Ukraine’s scandium reserves, though less quantified, are noted in EU-funded research.
Ukraine’s rare earth reserves are estimated to account for about 5% of the global supply, according to the UN’s Russian-language news service in 2022. However, many of these deposits remain untapped due to a lack of commercial mining operations, with significant portions located in Russian-occupied regions like Donetsk and Luhansk.
Other Critical Minerals in Ukraine
Beyond REEs, Ukraine is rich in critical minerals that are equally coveted by the UK, US, and Russia:
- Lithium: Ukraine holds one of Europe’s largest reserves, estimated at 500,000 tons, vital for batteries in electric vehicles, smartphones, and energy storage. Deposits are scattered across central (Kyrovohrad), eastern (Donetsk), and southeastern (Zaporizhzhia) regions, with some under Russian control.
- Titanium: Ukraine accounts for 7% of global production and has Europe’s largest reserves, with deposits like those in Zavallia producing titanium ores crucial for aerospace, medical implants, and military applications.
- Uranium: Significant reserves make Ukraine a potential supplier for nuclear energy and weapons-grade material, a key interest for strategic powers.
- Graphite: Holding about 20% of global reserves, Ukraine’s graphite is used in steel production, lubricants, and battery anodes, with deposits in areas like Zavallievsky.
- Zirconium: Used in nuclear reactors and high-temperature ceramics, adding to Ukraine’s mineral wealth.
- Beryllium, Tantalum, and Niobium: These are critical for electronics, capacitors, and superconductors, with deposits enhancing Ukraine’s high-tech potential.
Why the Want a Deal for the Minerals
- The US seeks to reduce reliance on China, which dominates 60% of global REE production and 90% of processing. Ukraine’s minerals, especially lithium, titanium, and REEs like neodymium, align with US goals for secure supply chains in defense (e.g., missile systems) and green tech (e.g., EV batteries). Recent negotiations, driven by President Trump’s administration as of early 2025, aim to secure these resources in exchange for military aid, with Forbes (2023) valuing Ukraine’s mineral wealth at $15 trillion.
- In early 2025, the Trump administration’s bold gambit to secure Ukraine’s rare earth elements (REEs) and critical minerals—valued between $500 billion and $14.8 trillion—collapsed in a spectacular diplomatic implosion. Touted as a transactional masterstroke, the plan aimed to trade military aid for access to Ukraine’s neodymium, lithium, and titanium riches, only to unravel amid accusations of extortion, Ukrainian resistance, and Russian opportunism. As of March 4, 2025, this failure reverberates across the UK, US, EU, and Russia, reshaping alliances, escalating the war, and exposing the limits of mineral-driven geopolitics.
- The negotiations, launched in February 2025, were vintage Trump: aid for assets. With the US having pumped $124 billion into Ukraine since 2014 (Kiel Institute, 2025), Trump claim the US has spent over $350 billion in Ukraine (though without evidence) and demanded a $500 billion slice of Ukraine’s mineral wealth—neodymium for drones, lithium for batteries, titanium for jets—as “equalization” for past and future support (Reuters, Feb 5). Initial drafts, leaked to The New York Times (Feb 22), escalated to half of all natural resource revenues, sans security guarantees, sparking outrage in Kyiv.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy balked, calling it a “Pandora’s box” that would indebt “ten generations” (TIME, Feb 24). By February 28, talks imploded at the White House, with Trump and VP JD Vance accusing Zelenskyy of “ingratitude” (CSMonitor, Feb 28). The deal’s failure wasn’t just a diplomatic snag—it was a seismic blow to Western strategy in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
- Adam Tooze, in Foreign Policy (Feb 25), branded it “an extraordinary act of extortion,” arguing Trump misjudged Ukraine’s resolve to retain sovereignty over its $14.8 trillion mineral trove (Forbes Ukraine, 2023).
- Trump’s transactional flop weakens US leverage. Allies like the UK and EU, already jittery over his Russia tilt—evidenced by Saudi talks excluding Kyiv (CNN, Feb 26)—see a superpower prioritizing profit over principle. The Guardian (Feb 4) cites German Chancellor Olaf Scholz slamming the “selfish” plan, signaling NATO fissures. With aid paused (Reuters, Feb 28), Ukraine’s frontline falters, risking a domino effect on US global standing.
Why the UK Signed the 100 Years Deal with Ukraine
In January 2025, the United Kingdom inked a controversial 100-year partnership with Ukraine, a move that has sparked debate over its motives and timing. Ostensibly framed as a gesture of solidarity amid Russia’s ongoing invasion, this long-term deal—signed just days before Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025—reveals a calculated play for Ukraine’s rare earth elements (REEs) and critical minerals. With the UK’s energy transition and defense ambitions at stake, this post argues that the agreement was less about altruism and more about securing strategic resources like neodymium and titanium in a war-torn landscape, with profound implications for geopolitics
- Announced on January 15, 2025, the UK-Ukraine Partnership Agreement commits Britain to military and economic support for Kyiv over an unprecedented 100 years. Buried in the fine print, as highlighted by posts on X, is a clause cementing the UK as a “preferred partner” for Ukraine’s “energy sector, critical minerals strategy, and green steel production.” Signed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the deal dodged parliamentary scrutiny, fueling accusations of overreach (The Independent, Feb 28, 2025).
- Why 100 years? The UK pitched it as a bulwark against Russian aggression, locking in support beyond short-term aid cycles. But the real prize lies underground: Ukraine’s REEs and minerals—valued between $500 billion and $14.8 trillion (Forbes Ukraine, 2023)—offer a lifeline for Britain’s tech and defense needs in a world where China dominates 60% of REE production (CSIS, 2024).
- The UK, having slashed coal to 1% of its energy mix (Ember, 2023), relies on renewables and advanced tech—both REE-dependent. With China’s export bans tightening (BBC, Feb 26, 2025), Ukraine’s proximity and NATO-aligned status make it a golden ticket. The deal’s “preferred partner” status ensures British firms—like Rolls-Royce or BP—get first dibs, sidelining rivals like the US or EU.
- Russia’s occupation of Donbas—home to half of Ukraine’s REEs (Reuters, Feb 12)—makes the deal a wartime gamble. The UK can’t mine now; Ukraine’s infrastructure is “bombed out,” per Gracelin Baskaran (CSIS, NPR, Feb 14). But post-war reconstruction, backed by UK funds, could unlock these riches. The agreement’s longevity signals confidence in Ukraine’s survival—and Britain’s intent to profit when the dust settles.
Why Russia is Accelerating Strategic Takeover of Ukranian Regions with High REEs?
- Western sanctions, tightened post-2022, choke Russia’s high-tech sectors. REEs like neodymium (for missiles) and titanium (for Su-57 jets) are lifelines. The Telegraph (Feb 4) cites Russia’s auto and defense industries as beneficiaries, with Donbas lithium potentially powering a domestic EV push. Forbes Ukraine (2023) values its lithium ore at $38 billion—cash Putin can’t ignore.
- As of March, 2025, Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine has sharpened its focus on key areas rich in rare earth elements (REEs) and critical minerals, a move driven by strategic, economic, and geopolitical imperatives. With the war entering its third year, reports from credible sources, including military analyses, geological surveys, and public statements, provide concrete evidence of Russia’s intent to secure Ukraine’s mineral wealth of $15 trillion (Forbes Ukraine, 2023)—particularly in the Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
- The United Nations (2022) estimates Ukraine’s REEs at 5% of global supply, but 40-50% of its metallic mineral wealth—up to 70% by some accounts (Forbes, 2023)—lies in Russian-occupied or contested eastern regions. Donbas alone harbors over $10 trillion of this total, per the Washington Post (August 2022).
- Russia: Controlling about 20% of Ukraine’s territory, Russia occupies roughly 40-50% of its metallic mineral resources, including half of its rare earth deposits (e.g., in Donbas). Russia aims to exploit these for its own industries—like titanium for aerospace—and to deny them to the West, enhancing its geopolitical leverage. Putin’s 2025 offer to sell Ukrainian minerals from occupied territories to the US underscores this strategy (BBC, 2025).
- Russia, holding 20% of Ukraine’s territory and half its REEs (Reuters, Feb 12), emerges grinning. Putin’s offer to mine occupied zones with US firms (Telegraph, Feb 11) mocks Western disarray. Capturing Pokrovsk—430 sq km gained in January (ISW)—puts 70% of Ukraine’s $14.8 trillion at risk. The Moscow Times (Feb 11) quotes Kremlin’s Dmitry Peskov: “A significant part of Ukraine is already Russia.” Mineral theft funds Putin’s war, prolonging the conflict.
- Russia’s takeover starves NATO and the EU of Ukraine’s minerals. The EU’s Green Deal relies on lithium (Euronews, Feb 20), while the US seeks neodymium to counter China’s 60% REE dominance (CSIS, 2024). Al Jazeera (Mar 1) notes Russia controls half of Ukraine’s REEs, a chokehold tightened by each advance. Trump’s failed $500 billion mineral deal (CNN, Feb 28) and the UK’s 100-year pact (Independent, Feb 28) show Western desperation—foiled by Russia’s grip on Donbas.
- Russia’s accelerated takeover of Ukraine’s REE-rich zones—Pokrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Donbas—is no accident. Valid evidence from ISW, Reuters, and Forbes confirms a deliberate push to control neodymium, lithium, and titanium, driven by economic survival, Western denial, and geopolitical clout. As Putin tightens his grip in 2025, the war morphs into a resource heist, with Ukraine’s $14.8 trillion underground wealth as the prize. The West’s deals falter, and Russia’s advance signals a new era: minerals as munitions. Will Ukraine hold out, or has Putin already won the subsurface war?
Note: All sources were manually validated before publication. Links may change. GAI usage in analysis.