The treasure desired by all nations that China dominates with iron fist can be key in Ukraine: its rare earths

Trump has had to get there An unexpected negotiating element In the war in Ukraine. Moscow and Kyiv have been waiting for the new administration with respect to the conflict for weeks. The answer, unexpected for the majority, is about to see if it is as it seems. If affirmative, the United States would enter fully into the contest to help Ukraine, although in exchange for very precious minerals with incalculable geopolitical value.

Rare lands in exchange for support. Donald Trump’s recent statement on a possible agreement with Ukraine, in which The United States would receive rare minerals in exchange for military assistancehas shaken the geopolitical panorama and generated international mixed reactions. The proposal, presented by Trump himself in the Oval office, seeks to condition Kyiv aid, linking it with strategic resources such as lithium, uranium and titanium, fundamental to the technological and military industry.

This strategy, which reflects its transactional approach in foreign policy, represents a significant change regarding the unconditional military assistance that the American nation has provided so far, where it was practically reduced to money and weapons.

A turn in the relationship. Since Trump’s re -election, uncertainty about American commitment to Ukraine has been a matter of concern for Kyiv. Everything changes, a priori (and being real), with this offer, since Ukraine could ensure Washington’s support when a “strategic interest” In his future.

In fact, the answer has not been expected, and Ukrainian officials have explained that The administration of Volodymyr Zelensky would be willing to sign joint agreements with the United States To guarantee the collaboration in the exploitation of these resources, in an attempt to consolidate military support in the middle of the wear of the conflict with Russia. Moreover, Zelensky has warned that Without American intervention, these resources could end up in the hands of adversaries As Iran or North Korea, in case of a Russian victory.

Geopolitical impact As we said, the international reaction to Trump’s words has not been waiting. In Europe, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz harshly criticized the proposaldescribing it as selfish and stressing that minerals should be used for the reconstruction of Ukraine instead of being exchanged for weapons.

A European diplomat expressed doubts about the viability of the plansuggesting that it is not yet clear if it is a negotiation strategy or a firm demand. In addition, he stressed that European countries have already considered more transactional approaches with the United States, although without compromising essential resources of Ukraine.

And from Russia? From Moscow, the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov interpreted Trump’s proposal as a sign that the United States will no longer deliver free helpwhat Russia sees as an opportunity to weaken Western support to Kyiv. This perspective coincides with Russian military advances in eastern Ukraine, where many of the rare mineral reserves are found.

The minerals. It We have counted before. In the case at hand, the elements of rare earths that Donald Trump seeks to ensure through an agreement with Ukraine in exchange for military aid They are essential strategic metals for key industriesfrom advanced technology to defense.

Despite its name, these 17 elements are not particularly scarce, since There are large deposits in China, Brazil, Vietnam and Russia. However, its extraction implies highly polluting and expensive processes, which has limited its production outside of Chinawho dominates the global market thanks to massive investments in refinement and more lax environmental regulation.

The importance of rare earths. These metals They are practically irreplaceable in many industrial applications. Neodimium and Disposio, for example, allow to manufacture ultra -policy magnets essential for wind turbines and electric motors, while the Europium is crucial for television screens and the hill is used in oil refining.

Besides, They play a key role in the development of modern armamentincluding in the equation guided missiles. Since production is concentrated in China (and therefore, The dependence of most countries), we have the best of the clues for which United States and EU seek to reduce its dependencepromoting new sources of supply and recycling of materials.

Trump’s interest. Linking with the above, Trump possibly sees in Ukrainian deposits An opportunity to strengthen US supply and reduce that Chinese influence In the sector, more convulsed than ever with The war of tariffs imposed. In this sense, one of the greatest attractions of the agreement for Washington is Access to lithium deposits of Ukraine, essential for the manufacture of microchips and batteries for electric vehiclesstrategic sectors where the United States competes directly with China.

Within the framework of its transactional policy, the tycoon proposes that Ukraine guarantees access to these resources in exchange for military support, An idea previously suggested by Volodymyr Zelensky. The geopolitics of these materials, therefore, is key, since a greater dependence on China could represent strategic risks, as happened in 2010 when Beijing blocked exports to Japan in a territorial conflict.

Difference with other critical minerals. Rare earths are just a part of The so -called critical mineralsa broader category that includes tungsten, tellurium and Indian, essential for clean energy and advanced technologies. In fact, China has already imposed export controls of some of these materials In response to American tariffs, reinforcing the need to diversify the global supply.

Paradigm change. Be that as it may, Trump’s interest in convert military assistance into an agreement based on resources It represents a fundamental change in the way in which the United States could handle its relationship with Ukraine (or other nations in conflict). While Kyiv sees this as an opportunity to maintain American support, the proposal It has also generated tensions with Europe and criticism about ethics to condition aid to an exchange of strategic goods. On the other hand, and at least publicly, Russia does not see it either bad, but as a chance.

In a context of prolonged war and with Moscow gaining ground, this new approach could define the future of the conflict and remodel geopolitical balance in the coming years. Of course, it is about to see if Trumop’s words are real or a strategy. In Code USA would be facing a play that, in addition, would seek to confront China’s controls to the export of the coveted materials.

Image | Ministry of def, Terence WrightVisual Capitalist

In Xataka | Thousands of North Koreans came to fight with Russia. The question now is where they have gotten two weeks

In Xataka | The Ukrainian invention that has allowed to repel the waves of Russian attacks: a 41 km fiber optic cable