Ukraine’s Rare Earths So Rare They Are Not Viable To Mine, French Experts Say

Ukraine holds 5% of the world’s mineral resources, which U.S. President Donald Trump is eager to secure. However, experts caution that not all of these resources are currently exploited—or even exploitable—France 24 reported.

Despite political pressure, geological and economic constraints may prevent Ukraine from becoming a significant rare earths supplier anytime soon.

Ukraine ranked 40th among mineral-producing countries, according to the 2024 edition of World Mining Data, and was the world’s 10th largest producer of iron in 2022.

A 2023 study by France’s Bureau of Geological and Mining Research (BRGM) identified over 100 mineral resources in Ukraine, including iron, manganese, and uranium. The European Commission has highlighted Ukraine as a major supplier of titanium and a source of 20 critical raw materials.

However, Ukraine’s rare earth element (REE) deposits—essential for high-tech applications like screens, drones, wind turbines, and electric motors—may not be commercially viable.

S&P Global reported in February that Ukraine’s estimates are based on “a Soviet-era assessment of difficult-to-access rare earth deposits” and that concentrations may be too low or extraction too challenging to be profitable.

Ukraine has also claimed to have “one of the largest lithium deposits in Europe,” yet no lithium extraction has begun.

While the country asserts that “REEs are known to exist in six deposits,” experts estimate that developing just one major site, Novopoltavske, would require an investment of $300 million.

Trump has expressed a strong interest in securing access to Ukraine’s mineral wealth in exchange for continued U.S. aid in its war against Russia. However, despite political pressure, geological and economic constraints may prevent Ukraine from becoming a significant supplier of rare earths anytime soon.