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The Conversation
The Conversation
Environment
Scott L. Montgomery, Lecturer, Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington

US-Ukraine deal highlights Ukraine’s wealth of critical minerals, but extracting them isn’t so simple

A dragline excavator mines rare earth materials in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine on Feb. 25, 2025. Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images

Ukraine’s mineral wealth has been a key factor in its negotiations with the U.S. as the two countries work out details for a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine’s war with Russia.

After a rocky start to those negotiations, officials from the U.S. and Ukraine announced an agreement on March 11, 2025. The U.S. would resume support and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, with some conditions, and both agreed to work toward “a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine’s critical mineral resources to expand Ukraine’s economy and guarantee Ukraine’s long-term prosperity and security.”

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