Ukraine’s Rare Earths Could Be Key to U.S. Tech
As Ukraine and the U.S. deepen their strategic cooperation in mining, geologist and academic Olena Remezova says the country’s rare earth metals — including scandium, yttrium, and terbium — could be vital for Western high-tech and defense sectors, from green energy to fighter jets, The Gaze reports, citing RBC-Ukraine.
“Ukraine has significant reserves of rare earth metals essential for modern technology,” said Remezova, Head of the Department of Mineral Resources at the Institute of Geological Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
“We are talking about materials necessary not for outdated industries, but for the latest high-value, ecology-friendly technologies.”
From deposits in Zhytomyr, Cherkasy, and Donetsk regions to unexplored reserves in central Ukraine, the country holds rare earths such as neodymium, europium, cerium, and scandium — a key element in F-16 and F-35 fighter jet alloys.
“Scandium is found in the alloys used by Americans to produce F-16 and F-35 aircraft. You need several hundred kilograms per jet,” she said.
While China dominates up to 80% of the global rare earths market, the U.S. is increasingly turning to partners like Ukraine to diversify supply — especially as the war highlights the vulnerabilities of relying on authoritarian regimes.
“If there are American interests present, I think the occupation [of Ukrainian territory] will disappear quickly,” Remezova said. “The U.S. won’t miss this opportunity.”
What Ukraine needs now, Remezova stresses, is technology, investment, and international classification of reserves.
“What can the U.S. bring? Technologies for exploitation and exploration, international resource assessments, and of course, jobs,” she added. “We’ll finally find out how much of these minerals we really have and develop production.”
The strategic value goes far beyond rare earths. Ukraine is one of Europe’s few potential producers of titanium, another critical resource for aerospace, defense, and medical industries.
“If we combine titanium and lithium extraction, we can produce powerful batteries for hybrid cars,” she noted.
As Ukraine eyes post-war reconstruction, the mining of granite, labradorite, and building stone could support both infrastructure and export sectors.
In sum, Remezova says, Ukraine has the geology, the need, and now the international support to become a key player in the global resource race — if it can modernize fast enough.
As The Gaze previously reported, Ukraine’s parliament has ratified a landmark agreement with the United States that establishes a joint investment fund for mineral extraction and post-war reconstruction.