Which rare earth minerals does Ukraine possess?
Data on the quantities and precise locations of each element is classified, something the European Business Association is lobbying against on the basis that it harms investment.
Still, it is known that Ukraine doesn’t make the global top 15 in terms of countries with the most sizeable rare earth reserves.
What Kyiv does have, however, is around two-thirds of minerals classified by the European Union as “critical”.
These include the rare earth metals, along with graphite, lithium, titanium and other precious metals. The latter group may in fact be more significant to investors, as they are needed in much greater quantities than rare earths.
For example, Ukraine has 20 per cent of the world’s graphite supply. The mineral form of carbon is important for making pencils – and essential for nuclear reactors.
Ukraine also holds one-third of Europe’s reserves of lithium, an element that’s key to electric vehicle batteries.
