Ukraine's Mineral Wealth Sparks U.S. Interest in Green Energy Transition

The U.S. is negotiating access to Ukraine's critical minerals, key to clean energy technologies, as part of a post-war reconstruction deal.

Ukraine's 'Ukrainian Shield' contains 22 of the 34 critical minerals identified by the EU, including lithium, graphite, and rare earth elements.
The global demand for minerals like lithium, essential for electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies, is expected to rise nearly 40-fold by 2040.
Ukraine holds major lithium deposits, including the Shevchenkivske site with 13.8 million tonnes of lithium ores, though war-related disruptions have delayed exploration and extraction.
A proposed U.S.-Ukraine deal would allocate 50% of proceeds from Ukraine's mineral resources to a joint reconstruction fund for post-war rebuilding.
The U.S. seeks to reduce reliance on Chinese mineral imports by securing access to Ukraine's resources, aiding supply chain diversification for green energy technologies.