Ukraine's mineral wealth: A strategic bid to woo Trump

According to the "New York Times," fearing the loss of American military aid if the Republican candidate wins, Kyiv is seeking new ways to maintain support from the United States. President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasises the importance of Ukrainian natural resources for US economic interests.

The newspaper reminds that Zelensky "has no illusions about the tragic consequences of losing American military aid," which may occur after Donald Trump's victory. Because of this risk, "Kyiv clearly seeks ways to appeal to Trump's well-known transactional approach to foreign policy."

Ukraine possesses rich mineral resources: about 7 percent of the world's titanium reserves, 20 percent of graphite reserves, and 500,000 tonnes of lithium, crucial in the production of batteries for electric vehicles. The Canadian consulting firm SecDev estimated in 2022 that the total value of Ukrainian mineral resources, including coal, gas, and oil, is about 26 trillion dollars.

The New York newspaper highlights that Ukrainian officials, British intelligence, and independent investigators report Russia has begun extracting certain resources from the occupied areas.

The newspaper notes that Zelensky is fully aware of the serious consequences that losing American military aid could bring, a potential outcome if Donald Trump wins. In light of this, Kyiv appears to be exploring strategies to address Trump’s familiar deal-based approach to foreign policy.

The President of Ukraine argues that support for his country is in America's economic interest, as Ukraine "is rich in natural resources, including critical metals worth trillions of US dollars." This stance aims to convince the US administration to continue support, using the potential of Ukrainian natural wealth as an argument.