Ukraine's $26 trillion resource plan eyes Trump's America
Ukraine has developed two points of a "victory plan" in its war with Russia, considering the possibility of Donald Trump winning the upcoming U.S. elections, reported Britain's "Financial Times" on Tuesday. One aspect of the plan involves sharing Ukraine's natural resources, valued at an estimated $26 trillion.
According to the newspaper, Ukraine's "victory plan" consists of two points. The first point is related to the presence of U.S. military forces in Europe, which could potentially be partially replaced by the experienced Ukrainian army after the end of the Russian invasion.
The second point concerns resources. Kyiv plans to share its resources with Western partners. According to the FT, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham supported this proposal. His office did not comment on these reports. In 2016, Graham received the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise from the then-President of Ukraine.
Ukrainian "white gold"
Zelensky's victory plan seems to have been crafted with Trump and the Republicans in mind, noted Dr. Daniel Szeligowski from the Polish Institute of International Affairs. The expert explained that Zelensky promises joint exploitation of natural resources in Ukraine, which is crucial for Americans in their competition with China. Ukrainian land is rich in resources. The Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers (ZPP) estimated that 21 out of 34 critical elements identified as such by the European Union are present beyond our eastern border. Simultaneously, 117 out of the 120 globally used materials are mined there. According to the ZPP, citing World Bank data, global demand for rare earth metals is projected to increase by 500 percent by 2050. One of the most valuable rare earth metals is lithium, which produces batteries for electric vehicles. Lithium is vital for the development of electromobility.
Ukraine has four lithium deposits, which contain 500,000 metric tons of the resource. The deposits are not being exploited due to financial and security reasons. One of the deposits, Kruta Balka, is located in the occupied Zaporizhzhia region, and another is near the frontline. Two additional deposits are located closer to the center of the country, yet they are within reach of Russian missiles. Moreover, the lithium itself is said to be as deep as 1,000 feet underground, requiring significant financial investments for its extraction.
Ukrainian natural resources could be extremely important for the U.S. Scientists from the Dnipro University of Technology calculated that up to 26 pounds of lithium is used in a standard hybrid vehicle, and from 48 to 110 pounds of the resource is used to produce fully electric Tesla vehicles.
The "New York Times" cites 2022 data from Canadian consulting firm SecDev, which estimated the total value of Ukraine's mineral resources—including titanium, graphite, and lithium—at $26 trillion, including coal, gas, and oil.
