Ukraine pitches vast mineral wealth to attract Trump's support
Kyiv is exploring ways to appeal to Donald Trump's well-known transactional approach to foreign policy, as reported by "The New York Times." This includes Volodymyr Zelensky's assertions that aiding Ukraine's defence serves America's economic interests.
Ukraine’s mineral resources, valued at trillions of dollars—with significant reserves of titanium, graphite, and lithium—could serve as a bargaining tool during President Volodymyr Zelensky's discussions with Donald Trump if Trump wins Tuesday's election and resumes the presidency of the USA, notes "The New York Times" on Sunday.
The newspaper highlighted that Zelensky "has no illusions about the dire consequences of losing American military aid," which might follow if the Republican candidate is victorious.
The "NYT" pointed out that within this context, "Kyiv is evidently seeking methods to appeal to Trump's well-known transactional foreign policy approach." Thus, Zelensky argues that supporting Ukraine's defence aligns with America's economic interests, given that Ukraine "is abundant in natural resources, including critical metals valued at trillions of dollars."
Ukraine's rich resources
"The New York Times" cites data from 2022 provided by the Canadian consulting firm SecDev, estimating the total value of Ukraine's mineral resources at approximately $35 trillion CAD, including coal, gas, and oil.
Moreover, Ukraine possesses strategic resources—with about 7% of the world's titanium reserves, 20% of the graphite reserves, and 500,000 tonnes of lithium—critical for electric vehicle battery production.
"According to Ukrainian officials, British intelligence, and independent investigators, Russia is already seizing some of these resources in the occupied territories," the New York newspaper emphasizes.
The report also quotes a recent statement from Zelensky, who asserted that these valuable resources "will either strengthen Russia and its allies or benefit Ukraine and the democratic world."
