Rare earth metals as a bargaining chip: what Trump seeks from Ukraine.

U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed interest in obtaining rare earth metals from Ukraine in exchange for continued support in the war against Russia. The strategic importance of these resources was also mentioned in one of the points of the "victory plan" by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Rare earth metals (such as scandium, yttrium, and lanthanides) possess unique physicochemical properties and are utilized in high-tech fields like electronics, medicine, and optics.

Ukraine has significant reserves of these metals, including lithium, graphite, titanium, and uranium. For instance, Ukraine holds approximately one-third of Europe's lithium reserves and ranks highly in graphite and titanium reserves.

The U.S. is interested in gaining access to these resources as they are critical for modern technologies.

Trump noted that Ukraine could provide valuable resources to support American industry and expressed a willingness to negotiate an agreement that would ensure access to these metals in exchange for support in the war against Russia. This statement aligns with Zelensky's proposal to establish an agreement for the protection and utilization of Ukraine's natural resources.

In his speech, the President of Ukraine emphasized that the strategic role of such resources in global competition could significantly impact the course of the war, further enhancing the importance of cooperation with the U.S. and other Western partners.

It was previously reported that actual consumer inflation in December 2024 exceeded the forecasts of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), and prices are expected to continue rising.