HCSS
  • News
    • BNR | De Strateeg
    • Columns
    • Draghi Report Series
    • Events
    • Podcasts
  • Publications
    • Publications
      • All Publications
    • Defence & Security
      • Behavioural Influencing in the Military Domain
      • (Nuclear) Deterrence and Arms Control
      • Hybrid Threats
      • Rethinking Fire and Manoeuvre
      • Robotic and Autonomous Systems
      • Strategic Monitor Dutch Police
      • Transnational Organised Crime
    • Geopolitics & Geo-economics
      • China in a Changing World Order
      • Europe in a Changing World Order
      • Europe in the Indo-Pacific
      • Knowledge base on Russia (RuBase)
      • PROGRESS / Strategic Monitor
      • Transatlantic Relations
    • Climate, Energy, Materials & Food
      • Climate and Security
        • International Military Council on Climate and Security (IMCCS)
        • Water, Peace & Security (WPS)
      • Critical Minerals
      • Energy Security
        • Tank Storage in Transition
      • Food Security
    • Strategic Technologies
      • Cyber Policy & Resilience
        • Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace (GCSC)
      • Emerging Technologies
      • Global Commission on Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain (GC REAIM)
      • Semiconductors
      • Space
  • Dashboards
    • Dashboards
      • All Dashboards
        • GINA
    • Defence & Security
      • DAMON | Disturbances and Aggression Monitor
      • GINA | Military
      • Nuclear Timeline
    • Geopolitics & Geo-economics
      • Dutch Foreign Relations Index
      • GINA | Diplomatic
      • GINA | Economic
      • GINA | Information
    • Climate, Energy, Materials & Food
      • Agrifood Monitor
      • CRM Dashboard
    • Strategic Technologies
      • Cyber Arms Watch
      • Cyber Comparator
      • Cyber Norms Observatory
      • Cyber Transparency
  • Services
    • HCSS Boardroom
    • HCSS Datalab
    • HCSS Socio-Political Instability Survey
    • Strategic Capability Gaming
    • Studio HCSS
    • Indo-Dutch Cyber Security School 2024
    • Southern Africa-Netherlands Cyber Security School 2025
  • NATO Summit
  • GC REAIM
    • GC REAIM | Members
    • GC REAIM | Conferences
    • GC REAIM | Partners, Sponsors, Supporters
  • About HCSS
    • Contact Us
    • Our People
    • Funding & Transparency
    • Partners & Clients
    • HCSS Newsletter
    • HCSS Internship Programme
    • Press & Media Inquiries
    • Working at HCSS
    • Global Futures Foundation
  • Click to open the search input field Click to open the search input field Search
  • Menu Menu

News

Amrish Ritoe | Trump, Zelensky and the Ukraine rare earth saga

February 26, 2025

The Ukraine rare earth saga is a reminder of the complexities and dangers of intertwining geopolitical interests with natural resources. Despite Trump’s insistence on the existence of vast quantities of rare earths, experts such as Jeff Amrish Ritoe, strategic advisor on energy and raw materials at the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS), make clear that Ukraine, while possessing critical raw materials such as titanium, manganese, graphite and lithium, is not a significant producer of rare earths.

“The EU identifies 51 key raw materials, of which seventeen belong to the rare earth group. But it is important not to mix terms and say that Ukraine has a large amount of rare earths. What it has is the potential to produce a considerable amount of certain raw materials, such as titanium, manganese, graphite or lithium ,” Ritoe explains to El Confidencial.

That is, all rare earths are critical raw materials, but not all critical raw materials are rare earths. A key distinction that either no one has bothered to clarify for Trump, or the president has deliberately chosen to ignore, perhaps because he finds the term “rare earths” more catchy.

The problem, of course, is that the source of wealth Trump craves doesn’t exist . Because, as Ritoe warns, the difference between identifying minerals in the ground and extracting them profitably is huge. “What’s on the maps doesn’t always translate into production. Before you talk about commercial extraction, you have to go through long and expensive exploration processes, and Ukraine is simply not at that stage yet for its critical raw materials ,” says the expert, who points out that the country doesn’t even have the appropriate mining and tax codes to encourage private investment and improve public-private partnerships to develop assets in Ukraine.

In other words, for a resource to go from being a simple geological find to becoming an exploitable reserve, a process is necessary that can take years or even decades . “From exploration to production it can easily take 15 years and requires a lot of money,” adds the expert.

Added to this is a crucial detail: Ukrainian geology is based on data from the Soviet era, which means that many of the figures on its mineral wealth require re-evaluation with modern technologies. Without considerable investment in prospecting and development, any estimate of the profitability of these resources is at best speculative. And at worst, pure fantasy.

The spark that ignited the saga dates back to September 2024, when Volodymyr Zelensky met with Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York. According to The New York Times, the meeting was part of a negotiating effort by Kiev to adapt to the tycoon’s transactional approach, leaving behind the moral appeals with which it had won the support of the Biden Administration. Ukraine knew that if the then Republican candidate managed to return to the White House, American aid risked fading away, so it had to offer him other incentives to convince him to maintain military support.

In this pitch, of course, there was a considerable dose of exaggeration. “If you’re trying to convince someone like Trump, you’re going to use all the makeup you can to make your proposal look as attractive as possible,” Ritoe adds.

Source: El Confidencial, 26 February 2025

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on X
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share by Mail

Experts

Jeff Amrish Ritoe

Related News

Related Content

Amrish Ritoe | BNR: ‘Europa veel te traag met kritische grondstoffen uit eigen bodem’
Jeff Amrish Ritoe | EenVandaag: Het gaat niet goed met productie van Europese batterijen
Amrish Ritoe | NUnl: Russen investeren in Oekraïense mijnen voor lithium en grafiet

Office Address

  • The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies
  • Lange Voorhout 1
  • 2514 EA The Hague
  • The Netherlands

Contact Us

  • Telephone: +31(70) 318 48 40
  • E-mail: info@hcss.nl
  • IBAN NL10INGB0666328730
  • BIC INGBNL2A
  • VAT NL.8101.32.436.B01
  • Contact

Legal & Privacy

  • Disclaimer & Privacy
  • Algemene Voorwaarden (NL) 
  • Terms & Conditions (ENG) 
  • Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure
  • Ethical Standards
  • Manual for Responsible Use of AI

Follow us

© The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies
    Link to: Event | Fit for the Future? Towards a digitally-capable NATO Alliance for the 21st Century Link to: Event | Fit for the Future? Towards a digitally-capable NATO Alliance for the 21st Century Event | Fit for the Future? Towards a digitally-capable NATO Alliance for the... Link to: Column Nieuwe Oogst: ‘Heffingen van regering Trump zijn niet het echte probleem’ Link to: Column Nieuwe Oogst: ‘Heffingen van regering Trump zijn niet het echte probleem’ Column Nieuwe Oogst: ‘Heffingen van regering Trump zijn niet het echte...
    Scroll to top Scroll to top Scroll to top

    GDPR Consent

    Your privacy is important to us. Here you can set which consent you are allowing us with regards to the collection of general information, the placing of cookies of the collection of personal information. You can click 'Forget my settings' at the bottom of this form to revoke all given consents.

    Privacy policy | Close
    Settings

    GDPR Consent Settings

    Your privacy is important to us. Here you can set which consent you are allowing us with regards to the collection of general information, the placing of cookies of the collection of personal information. You can click 'Forget my settings' at the bottom of this form to revoke all given consents.

    Website statistics collect anonymized information about how the site is used. This information is used to optimize the website and to ensure an optimal user experience.

    View details

    Functional cookies are used to ensure the website works properly and are neccessary to make the site function. These cookies do not collect any personal data.  

    View details
    Forget my settings Deleted!