$350 Billion in Mineral Deposits Are Located on Occupied Territories, Says Ukrainian Economy Minister

At the “Ukraine. Year 2025” forum, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yuliia Svyrydenko emphasized Ukraine’s commitment to developing its critical minerals sector, highlighting the country’s significant reserves of rare earth elements and the need for international investment in their extraction and processing.

According to Svyrydenko, Ukraine’s approach is not limited to exporting raw materials but aims to attract investors for domestic processing industries. She noted that one of the key challenges is updating geological data and ensuring that investors have the necessary conditions to develop processing facilities within Ukraine.

Ukraine possesses substantial reserves of strategic resources, including minerals essential for the aviation, defense, medical, and manufacturing sectors. However, Svyrydenko acknowledged that a significant portion of these deposits, valued at approximately $350 billion, remains under temporary Russian occupation.

“We know and have information that on the temporarily occupied territory, these critical mineral resources amount to approximately $350 billion. Unfortunately, these are resources currently controlled by the aggressor,” the minister stated.

She underlined that Ukraine’s goal is to integrate into global supply chains, ensuring that critical materials are utilized for high-value production rather than exported as raw materials. The government is actively working on policies to enhance security guarantees for investors and strengthen cooperation with international partners to develop sustainable extraction and processing capabilities.

Earlier, Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Ruslan Stefanchuk announced that Ukraine would begin formal negotiations with the United States next week on an agreement concerning rare earth minerals and security guarantees. Following President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s meeting with U.S. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg, an expert group will work on finalizing the terms. Stefanchuk emphasized that Ukraine seeks both economic cooperation and specific security assurances as part of the agreement.