Margus Tsahkna
If Western support falters, Ukraine’s reserves of rare earth minerals will be left at the mercy of Russia and China.
The global economy is growing more and more dependent on critical minerals—resources vital for technological advancement, the energy transition, and even military capabilities. There are vast reserves of these minerals in Ukraine. The United States and its allies must decide whether to help Ukraine keep hold of its vast reserves of critical minerals or risk these slipping into the possession of Moscow, Beijing, Tehran, and Pyongyang.
Russia’s war on Ukraine, and by extension, the Western security architecture, is multidimensional: it extends from the military battlefield, cyberspace, information manipulation, and propaganda to the disruption of trade routes and supply chains and beyond. This includes mineral resources.
Rare earth elements and other important raw materials such as titanium, lithium, gallium, and graphite are essential for the production of high-tech electronics, wind turbines, and electric vehicle batteries. They are also widely used in the aerospace and defense industry.
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