"No options": Why Ukraine won't access rare earth minerals without the U.S., according to an expert (video).

Ukraine will not be able to independently handle the extraction of rare earth materials, as substantial investments are required to establish the technological process. If the United States takes on this task, Ukrainians could start producing finished products and selling them abroad within 10 years. Economist Igor Neskhodovsky discussed the challenges and advantages of joint development of scarce mineral deposits during a broadcast on the "Kiev 24" TV channel.

Neskhodovsky explained that obtaining 1 gram of rare earth material requires processing vast amounts of ore. This necessitates capital investments that Ukraine lacks. Furthermore, additional funding is needed to manufacture anything from the extracted substances. In his view, the high costs associated with such projects prevent Ukrainians from realizing them independently. He noted that the Soviet Union also did not pursue this direction for the same reason.

"There are no options for Ukraine to theoretically establish the extraction of these rare earth metals and then produce finished products for the global market," he stated.

The economist listed the benefits of U.S. involvement in mineral extraction:

• significant investment influx;
• construction of additional power plants;
• new job creation;
• establishment of safe working conditions.

Neskhodovsky added that it could take 10 years to set up extraction operations. At some point, Ukraine may be able not only to extract but also to produce finished products, he clarified.

"Currently, even investments in extraction are profitable for us," he stated during the broadcast.

Additionally, on the National Defense Magazine portal, there is an article dedicated to the Mountain Pass mine in the U.S., which extracts rare earth materials. The mining is carried out by MP Materials, which has been receiving multi-million dollar government investments annually since 2020. MP Materials has already established three stages of technology for obtaining scarce elements. Today, it holds 15% of the market share (neodymium, praseodymium, lanthanum, and cerium) and spent two years building a plant that replaced China in the technological chain.

The U.S. and Ukraine — Agreements on Rare Earth Metals

It is worth noting that U.S. President Donald Trump likely agreed to assist Ukraine in exchange for access to rare earth material deposits. The American politician suggested that Ukrainians relinquish their mineral resources and purchase certain goods specified by the U.S. In this way, Americans would offset the costs associated with the Russian-Ukrainian war, according to officials.

We remind you that on February 9, Member of Parliament Daniil Getmantsev noted that the mineral deposits of interest to Trump are owned by Ukrainian entrepreneurs, some of whom have even fled abroad. On February 10, media reported on the visit of the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, who will discuss extraction and the plans of the American president.