El Mundo: Lack of evidence for rare earth metals in Ukraine raises doubts

There is no evidence to suggest that Ukraine possesses the vast reserves of valuable minerals that the United States has relied upon, as noted by Tyson Barker, the former Deputy Special Representative for Economic Reconstruction in Ukraine.

Barker noted that, at present, no one knows whether Ukraine has rare earth metals in sufficient quantities, Caliber.Az reports, citing El Mundo.

There are reserves of oil, gas, lithium, and graphite, but they are not among the largest in the world,” the report quotes him as saying.

The article further claims that information on Ukraine's rare earth metal deposits, previously held by the administration of US President Donald Trump, is outdated. It also highlights that no company has shown interest in a potential deal between Washington and Kyiv due to a lack of economic incentives. The piece suggests that the proposed arrangement could be seen as a form of coercion from the US, with uncertainty surrounding whether Ukraine's resources will prove sufficient for such an agreement.

Note that, in February 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Ukraine had agreed to provide $500 billion worth of rare earth minerals in exchange for continued U.S. support. The deal, which includes mining rights for minerals such as lithium, uranium, and coal, has been met with criticism due to its lack of security guarantees for Ukraine and its perceived one-sidedness favoring U.S. interests.

The agreement aims to establish a joint fund between the U.S. and Ukraine, receiving revenues from the mining of these resources. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed disappointment over the absence of security assurances, which are crucial given the ongoing conflict with Russia.

By Aghakazim Guliyev