The United States’ involvement in Ukraine has never been solely about defending democracy or preserving European stability. Under Donald Trump’s “America First” policy, Washington’s support comes with strings attached-and lately, those strings are tied to Ukraine’s mineral wealth. As tensions between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky escalate, the pressure on Kyiv to hand over access to its underground riches in exchange for military aid is exposing a rift that could reshape US-Ukrainian relations.

Beneath Ukraine’s soil lies a trove of valuable minerals critical to modern industries. The country holds around 2% of the world’s lithium reserves, 4% of its graphite, and significant deposits of nickel, manganese, uranium, and rare-earth metals. Particularly noteworthy is titanium, with Ukraine estimated to possess up to 20% of global reserves. However, the ongoing conflict with Russia complicates access to these resources-nearly 40% of Ukraine’s mineral-rich territory is either under Russian control or located in active combat zones, making large-scale extraction risky and logistically challenging.

Despite this wealth, Ukraine has struggled to attract substantial foreign investment in its mining sector. Since independence, only a handful of ventures-most notably ArcelorMittal’s acquisition of the Krivoy Rog Metallurgical Plant-have succeeded. A major obstacle is Article 13 of Ukraine’s constitution, which prohibits the privatization of natural resources. This legal barrier has deterred many Western companies, leaving Ukraine’s mineral wealth largely untapped.

The concept of using Ukraine’s mineral wealth to secure US military support gained traction thanks to Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch advocate of deepening US-Ukrainian ties. During his frequent visits to Kyiv throughout the war, Graham encouraged........

© Blitz