Rare lands: not so rare, but precious. Does Ukraine really have in quantity?

Weapons, cheap help and … rare earth. Against the background of the War in Ukrainemining resources entered the negotiations between Kiev and Washington. But what exactly these 17 chemical elements are so coveted by the president Donald Trump And that could redesign the world balances?

What are rare lands?

Rare lands are a group of 17 chemical elements of the periodic tabledivided into two blocks: the Scodio and the iTrice, and the Landanids, which include 15 elements such as Lantanio, Cerio, Neodimio and Disposy. These metals share similar chemical properties but have very varied physical, electronic and magnetic characteristics.

Despite the name, Rare lands are not actually “rare”. The term is a historical heritage dating back to about 300 years ago, when these metals were discovered in some mines in Northern Europe. At the time, it immediately appeared clear how difficult it was to separate them from each other, leading to the belief that they were not widespread.

In reality, subsequent studies have shown that they are present throughout the earth’s crustbut only in some areas are they concentrated in quantities such as to make the extraction economically convenient. As regards, however, the term “lands” the reason for this nomenclature derives from the fact that, being metal oxides, these metals resemble the earth.

Why are they strategic?

Rare lands are fundamental for many Technological, energy and military applicationsas Nicola Armaroli, chemist and research manager of the CNR recently explained. “One of the main uses is in the production of high temperatures resistant metal alloys, used in the aeronautical industry. Furthermore, thanks to their optical properties, they are used in the manufacture of specific laser, such as those al Tullio, Olmio and Neodimioemployed in eye surgery and in the reduction of kidney stones, “said the expert during an episode of the television broadcast Geo & Geo.

In the energy sector, the rare lands are crucial for the production of permanent magnets used in wind turbines and in some types of batteries for hybrid vehicles. In the field of telecommunications and defense, their magnetic properties are used for the disorder of enemy communications And for the production of LCD display, thanks to the luminescent properties of elements such as Europe and Terbio. It is interesting to note that in a modern smartphone you can find at least eight rare lands, used in the circuits, on the screen, in the vibration system and in the speakers.

China and the global rare lands market

Currently, China dominates the global rare lands market, holding about 44% of the world reserves and producing 60% of the global offer. “Already thirty years ago – explained Armaroli – Beijing sensed the strategic importance of these elements, Starting the extraction in a mine in internal Mongolia. In 2010, China provided 90% of rare earthly earthly lands. Subsequently, other countries such as the United States and Australia have reopened or started new mines to reduce dependence on China “.

Rare lands and US-UCRAIN negotiations

Recently, rare lands have become a central theme in the negotiations between the United States and the Ukraine. The president Donald Trump has requested his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyrare lands for a value of 500 billion dollars as a form of compensation for the economic and military aid provided by the United States to Ukraine. This agreement provides that Ukraine gives 50% of the profits deriving from the exploitation of its resources as rare lands and other minerals to the United States.

However, The real entity of the Ukrainian reserves of rare lands is the subject of debate. Although the Ukrainian geological service has declared the presence of significant resources, these statements need further checks.

In 2022, the president of the Ukrainian Geologists Association, Hanna Liventsevahe claimed that his country contained about 5% of world mining resources, despite covering only 0.4% of the earth’s surface, thanks to a complex geology that includes all three the main components of the earth’s crust. Indeed, he talked about great mineral resources, it is true, but not of rare lands.

Yet, according to the Ukraine data mentioned by Reuters, the country has deposits of 22 of the 34 minerals identified as critics by the EU, including rare lands As Lanano, Cerio, Neodimio, Erbio and Ittrio.

Are there really rare lands in Ukraine?

“Analyzing the world databases of mining resources, Ukraine does not result in important resources of rare lands – said the chemist of CNR Armaroli – The Ukrainian geological service said that it believes that it is present important resources of rare lands. But this must be verified. Certainly Ukraine has many resources from other minerals, like titanium For example, or others materials such as graphite. There is a Gande Interest in the mineral resources of Ukraine. It should be understood whether or not there are large rare earth deposits. At the moment, officially, it does not appear. “

Reading the “RMIS – information system on raw materials” of the EU Commission, Ukraine results in a certainly considerable mining contribution index, given that it is 35 ° out of a total of 183 countries. Yet not for the presence of rare lands. The EU database speaks instead of Gallium (for which Ukraine is 3rd producer in the world), Sicilio metal (4th in the world), titanium and titanium metal (5th), Caolino (6 °), iron and steel (7th), Manganese (7th), Magnesium (7th), coal from Coke (8th) and Germanio (8th).
To express doubts about the actual presence of important quantities of rare lands on Ukrainian soil there is also Javier BlasEnergy and Commodities Columnist for Bloomberg.

As he points out Gianclaudio Torlizzifounder of the consultancy company specialized in the Market Intelligence and Risk Management T-Comodity, LinkedIn services, “In these days there is a lot of talk about Washington’s interest on the rare lands present in the Ukrainian subsoil. The interesting aspect is that, according to the same US Geological Institutethe presence of rare lands in the UKR is almost non -existent. ” Torlizzi highlights how the situation is different for other critical minerals, such as Titanium and Gallium, but that the estimates on Ukrainian mining wealth could be inflated. “It was probably Kiev herself who fed the storytelling on mining wealth perhaps to attract the West. But now he risks the boomerang effect, “he concludes.

Indeed, in the list drawn up by the US institute about the 15 countries that produce greater quantities of rare lands, Ukraine does not appear.

Important but with an environmental cost

The interest in Ukraine mining resources is very high, and the presence of rare lands could represent a further rose element in the conflict with Russia. But what impact do they have on the environment?

Rare lands extraction has a high environmental cost. It involves very important damage Because they are minerals that must be first pulverized and therefore treated with acids or with strong bases. This has important environmental repercussions, not to mention the great use of water to support this process.

“Because of this, It is essential to invest in recycling these materials. Even though they are not “rare”, they are not infinite, “said Armaroli. Their strategic use, in a world increasingly dependent on technology, makes them a valuable resource, yes, but to be managed carefully.