Ukraine has large reserves of minerals, but their development requires significant financial resources. On April 30, the United States and Ukraine signed an agreement regarding subsoil resources, opening new opportunities for cooperation in the mineral resources sector. However, the actual value of Ukrainian minerals remains uncertain, with experts estimating that their worth could reach trillions of dollars.
This is reported by Business • Media
Drawbacks and Prospects of Ukrainian Mineral Extraction
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that Ukrainian subsoil has immense value. In turn, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that the country’s mineral wealth is “priceless.” However, effective exploitation requires large-scale investments and infrastructure projects, which are currently progressing very slowly. Experts point out that in many cases, deposits are not economically viable for development due to high costs.
Challenges and Opportunities for American Companies
Extracting critically important minerals such as lithium, graphite, uranium, and titanium requires billion-dollar investments. In particular, SecDev, a company that researched Ukraine’s resources ahead of the Trump-Zelensky meeting at the White House in late February, emphasizes that the U.S. will need to invest significant funds to access Ukrainian minerals.
“Gaining access to Ukrainian minerals for the U.S. could become a long-term investment, as developing a new mine takes over 10 years,” experts note.
This is especially relevant considering that 40% of the world’s critically important minerals are currently located in occupied territories of Ukraine, complicating their access and development.