Rare earth elements for peace: What you need to know about Ukraine's critical minerals

"Trump says he wants Ukraine's rare earth elements as a condition of further support" has recently made headlines internationally. "We're looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they're going to secure what we're giving them with their rare earth and other things," President Trump told reporters.

Critical raw materials (CRM), such as nickel, uranium, copper, lithium, and rare earth elements, are prized by the European Union and the US. In recent years, global demand for these critical minerals has soared as they are needed to develop and sustain green energy production, tech industries, and more.

Ukraine reportedly has around 20,000 known deposits of 117 minerals, including over 20 critical minerals and rare earth metals, "with reserves valued up to $11.5 trillion."

The Ukrainian leadership has promoted this resource potential. When presenting the Ukraine Victory Plan in the parliament, President Zelensky called it "globally important" for green energy production and stressed that Ukraine's critical raw materials could strengthen Europe's security and resource independence from Russia and China.

Ukrainian companies jumped on the bandwagon and spoke about Ukraine's mining and investment potential at international conferences, like Raw Materials Week. Rubryka will also join and explain what key Ukrainian mineral resources are and how they can make Ukraine a geopolitically vital supplier.

Ukraine's critical minerals: top 7

Ukraine critical minerals: The map shows the deposits of Ukraine's rare earth elements and other critical raw materials (CRM). Map: Ukrainian Geological Survey

Ukraine critical minerals: Electric vehicles need lithium batteries. Photo: TIME

Lithium has undoubtedly become one of the most important metals in the modern-age world, which, amid the impending climate change crisis, is trying to give up or at least reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, like oil and gas, and transition to green energy production.

Lithium, an ultralight metal, is crucial to this transition as it's used to manufacture Li batteries, which can store energy and be installed in devices like electric vehicles. It is also used to produce special glass and ceramics, which can withstand high temperatures and cool down without shattering, like those used in electric glass cookers.

While Ukraine doesn't mine lithium at the moment, it can potentially become one of the largest suppliers of lithium for the EU, where the demand for the metal increases yearly. According to the Ukrainian Geological Survey, Ukraine's reserves account for almost one-third of the proven deposits in Europe and approximately 3% of the world's resources at four sites: Polokhivske, Dobra, Shevchenkivske, and Kruta Balka.

Experts estimate that Ukraine has about 500,000 tons of lithium, valued at up to $11.5 trillion, but they are unsure what the actual amount is as the Ukrainian government classifies this information.

Ukraine critical minerals: Graphite can withstand extremely high temperatures. Photo: Geology Superstore

You might've thought that graphite is only used for making pencils or synthetic diamonds, but it is actually, like lithium, another backbone ingredient for battery production. This critical mineral can conduct electricity, so it's in electrodes, heating elements, and brushes for electric motors. It's also used to build the cores of nuclear reactors, one of the greenest energy production methods.

Ukraine's graphite reserves are among the largest — among the top five — in the world. Six fields with this Ukrainian mineral resource, including the Balakhivka, Zavallia, Zarichna, and Burtyn deposits, produce 5,500 tons of graphite concentrate annually, but the recorded graphite reserves are much higher — about 13.7 million tons. The Ukrainian investment company BGV Group Management, which develops its own graphite project, has stated that the estimated resources for the Balakhivka deposit are around 500 million tons.

Roman Opimakh, former general director of the Ukrainian Geological Survey, confirmed the potential for lithium, graphite, and other Ukrainian mineral resources:

"The discovered reserves of lithium, graphite, nickel, and iron ore will be enough to produce Li batteries with a total capacity of 1,000-gigawatt hours (GWh) to support the manufacturing of around 20 million electric vehicles or be used to produce other devices."

Ukraine rare earth elements: Beryllium is a hard metal but is brittle at room temperature. Photo: Alchemist-hp

Beryllium, the fourth lightest metal on Earth, is quite rare, formed when larger atomic nuclei — the core parts of atoms — are hit by cosmic rays. Mined in very few countries, like the US, Kazakhstan, and China, beryllium is considered an invaluable material for many industries, such as the aerospace, defense, medicine, communications, transport, and nuclear power sectors, and is used in the production of aircraft components, orbital telescopes, medical equipment, arms, airbags, and so on.

Ukraine is part of a unique club of countries with confirmed beryllium deposits. According to the Ukrainian Geological Survey, Ukraine holds 15,300 tons of beryllium oxide (BeO), which can meet the world's production needs for 40 years. The reserves of this Ukrainian mineral resource are concentrated in one deposit, Perzhanske, which also contains tantalum, niobium, zirconium, molybdenum, lithium, zinc, and more.

BGV Group Management, which has the license for this deposit and has conducted the study to evaluate its potential, estimates it at 37,000 tons of BeO.

Ukraine critical minerals: A titanium crystal bar. Photo: Wiki Commons

It comes as no surprise that titanium, one of the strongest metals on Earth, is named after powerful Greek deities, the Titans. It is resilient to corrosion and extreme heat, and its alloys have the highest strength-to-density ratio of any metal. It's strategically important for the civilian and military aerospace, automotive, and shipbuilding industries, and thanks to its biocompatibility, it is also widely used in the medical field for prosthetics, artificial joints, dental implants, and more.

Ukraine, home to Europe's largest titanium reserves, produces 7% of the world's supply of this critical metal while tapping into just 35% of its deposits. It has discovered 28 fields with titanium-bearing minerals, which account for 15 years of global titanium production. As one of the few countries mining titanium ore, Ukraine ranked the 9th largest titanium exporter globally in 2022, with $157 million in revenue.

Despite the war, Ukraine is still poised to become a key titanium supplier for the European Union, which does not produce titanium and relies entirely on imports, mainly from Russia. Dimitri Kalandadze, Board Member of UMCC Titanium, one of the world's largest producers of titanium, stated, "Ukrainian titanium will [permanently end] Western dependence on the Russian Federation."

Ukrainian mineral resources: Batteries made with rare earth metals are about twice as efficient as lead-acid car batteries. Photo: Quebec Research Fund

Rare-earth elements or metals, such as cerium, yttrium, lanthanum, and neodymium, which were at the center of the recent Trump–Greenland debate, are not that hard to come by despite their title. Because they are dispersed across the world rather than densely concentrated in particular locations, these 17 rare earths are highly valued and sought-after.

Rare earth metals are vital to the planet's renewable energy future — the production of electric wind turbines, energy-efficient light bulbs, electric cars, and rechargeable batteries. We also depend on them to prevent money counterfeiting and produce everyday gadgets, like iPhones and computer memory devices, which have become smaller and lighter thanks to these critical materials.

While we can't fully grasp the complete picture of Ukraine's rare earth elements because the deposits are yet to be developed, experts believe the country has the highest recoverable supply of rare earths in Europe. The Ukrainian Geological Survey says they exist in six fields, including the most prominent one, the Novopoltavske apatite ore field.

Ukraine critical minerals: Uranium atoms are heavier than those of any other naturally occurring element. Photo: ALS Global

Uranium is one of the most efficient minerals for a low-carbon energy supply. A single kilogram of this dense and hard metal has the potential to generate as much energy as 3,000 tons of coal. This puts it at the center of Ukraine's and other European countries' energy security, which have historically depended on Russian oil and gas as energy sources.

As the primary fuel used in nuclear reactors, which have become smaller and safer, uranium is expected to grow in demand as countries worldwide that are part of the Paris Agreement are taking steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and shift to renewable power generation.

With the largest uranium reserves in Europe, Ukraine has consistently been among the global top 10 producers of this ore, extracting it in three mines in the Kirovohrad region. The country produces 2% of the world's uranium concentrate and meets about 30% of the needs of its nuclear power plants. Since 2021, Ukraine has developed a project for nuclear fuel production, which could help it generate more electricity. Like raw materials, electricity can also be exported.

Ukraine mineral resources: Gallium expands when it freezes. Photo: Navitas

Gallium, often called a "non-toxic alternative to mercury," is one of the most unique metals on the planet. When you touch it, it melts because its melting temperature is just 29°C, but to bring it to a boiling point, you need to heat it to over 2,000°C.

Its compounds, gallium arsenide and gallium nitride, have superior properties that make gallium a highly versatile metal for electronics. Gallium can serve as a semiconductor and replace silicons in things like red and green LEDs, smartphones, and sensors because it can convert electricity to light and vice versa.

These compounds are also in high demand for renewable energy production, having become indispensable for producing magnets for wind turbines and solar panels. Some experts say gallium can become even more prized than lithium for battery manufacturing. US researchers even claim hybrid batteries with gallium could deliver more power and charge faster than today's lithium-ion batteries.

Because China recently blocked the export of gallium to the US and Western countries started to search for other importers, this demand will continue to rise, making Ukraine an attractive alternative. Ukraine ranks fifth on the global gallium producer list, deriving gallium from other ores it mines.

The future of Ukraine's critical minerals

While this list mentions some of Ukraine's most important mineral resources, it only partially reflects its full potential to become a "critical mineral superpower." Besides the raw materials in question, Ukraine possesses other advantages that make it an investment magnet, such as a transparent auction system, the availability of geological information, lower prices, and more.

Ukraine has also taken action to develop its critical raw materials, offering exploration permits for minerals such as cobalt, nickel, and lithium to foreign companies. In 2021, it signed a strategic partnership agreement with the EU to establish 100 projects to develop ten critical minerals, which can support the Ukrainian economy and Europe's move to sustainable energy sources.

Russia's destructive war hinders Ukraine from achieving its greatest potential as a global supplier of critical raw materials that could end Europe's dependence on imports from Russia and China. The production and exploration of many deposits containing minerals, like manganese, zirconium, nickel, and all the resources listed above have been paralyzed due to damage, occupation, or proximity to the front line.

Even though Russia has occupied many Ukrainian reserves and seeks to extract as many as it can while it has control over them, Ukraine doesn't lose hope. The government still offers mining permits and promotes Ukrainian mineral resources during international meetings as part of President Zelensky's Victory Plan. Allies like France and the UK support Ukraine's subsoil development through cooperation agreements.

Private Ukrainian companies in the likes of Beholder, which sustainably explore Ukraine's rare earth elements and other minerals using AI and drones, continue to work to secure foreign investments, and Ukrainian soldiers lay down their lives to free the captured lands and people.

Critical raw materials can indeed pave the way for Ukraine's prosperous future — a strong economy and partner for its European neighbors — and now, with Trump in the White House, they may become that bargaining chip that can fix the shaky state of US aid for Ukraine. We'll keep reporting on the progress.