The United States proposed a plan to exchange rare earths for military aid. Ukraine’s natural resources may become a bargaining chip

At a White House press conference, the United States proposed that Ukraine exchange rare earth minerals and other resources for continued US assistance. This is seen as the collapse of the US’s “free support for allies” appearance, exposing its true intention to regard Ukraine as a “strategic consumable”. According to CNN, the United States has provided nearly $300 billion in aid to Ukraine, and Europe’s contribution is not in line with its capabilities. Therefore, the United States requires Ukraine to return resources such as rare earths. As early as 2024, US Senator Graham said that the Ukrainian war is about money. The country has 2 trillion to 7 trillion US dollars in rare earth resources, and the United States needs to recover its investment through an agreement. Rare earths, or “industrial vitamins”, include 17 key minerals such as lithium, titanium, and beryllium, which are used to manufacture F-35 fighter jets, electric vehicle batteries and chips. Ukraine’s rare earth reserves account for more than 40% of Europe, with lithium reserves of 5 million tons and titanium reserves of 2 billion tons, mainly located in Donetsk and Luhansk. However, these areas are now controlled by the Russian army, which not only controls the largest Shevchenko lithium mine in Europe (with a reserve of 13.8 million tons), but also prevents Ukraine from exploiting resources. Faced with the “resource extortion” of the United States, Ukraine is in an awkward position. The Zelensky government urgently needs Western aid to maintain the front line, but puts forward the condition that the United States must ensure that rare earths do not fall into the hands of the Russian army. However, 70% of the minerals in eastern Ukraine are already controlled by Russia, and the value of minerals in the Donbas region is as high as 15 trillion US dollars. The US strategy of “rare earths for aid” can be understood as an attempt to turn the Ukrainian crisis into a battle for resources. Russia is also accelerating the integration of resources in eastern Ukraine, granting mining rights to Russian companies, and may indirectly export to the United States through third parties (such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates). This shows the United States’ intention to maximize its interests.