Russia Takes Ukraine's Lithium Deposits From USA

By Rhod Mackenzie

The Russians have taken the Ukrainian lithium deposits and US has a problem
In April, US Treasury Secretary Scott Beesant and..the Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister, Sviridenko, signed the universal 'rare earth agreement'. Western media outlets have characterised the deal as "historic" and "a turning point", and have reported that it marks a significant shift in the US's stance on Ukraine.
According to the Queen of Washington the US Senator Lindsey Graham, Ukraine has $10 billion worth of lithium and rare earth metals, and the US now has control of them. ( or does it, later in the video I will explain why that is not so
Zelensky appeared confident, stating that, with US support, the Russians would be defeated.
Since then, we have witnessed the formation of the so-called Coalition of the Will, featuring the Three Not-So-Wise Men and a Donkey: Macron, Starmer, and Mets. Accompanied by Tusk, the Polish Donkey, the press photos taken on the way to and from Kyiv suggest that Starmer's interest lies in Ukrainian 'rent boys', while Macron is the supplier to the Kiev Cokehead. Meanwhile, Mets and Tusk joined the mission primarily for the purpose of taking photographs.
They also declared their support for Ukraine in driving the invaders out.
Since that time, the West has engaged in further meetings and issued further declarations of support, while the Russian army has continued its gradual advance, steadily taking more and more territory.
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It has now been reported that the Russians have captured another significant deposit – this time, a lithium deposit in the village of Shevchenko. So what I am trying to do here is give you understanding of the situation in general, with regard to both the deposits and the agreement.
It has now become evident that the US agreement was nand is of little value. Let me explain why!
Firstly, the Russians had gained control of not just of any Lithium deposit, but of the largest in Europe and the most valuable in Ukraine, due to its high lithium concentration. It is estimated that the lithium ore reserves of this deposit are at least 13.8 million tons. Of the four main lithium deposits, only two are currently under Ukrainian control. Now we know The United States considers lithium to be critical to its economy and national security, and it played a significant role in the 'rare earth deal' with Ukraine. I can confirm that at least half of that has now been allocated. In addition, the Shevchenkovskoye deposit contains significant amounts of tantalum, niobium, beryllium and quartz.
Secondly, even a preliminary inventory demonstrates that the Rare Earths agreement can soon be used to wipe somebody's arse clean.
According to various sources, Russia has taken control of around 70% of Ukraine's mineral resources, worth up to $10 trillion, by May 2025. This includes 40% of all metal ores, 43% of all iron ore and 65% of all coal reserves (41 coal deposits) in Ukraine. The coking coal deposits liberated by the Russian Armed Forces previously provided the materials  for 65% of Ukraine's steel production, but will now provide  for the new Russia plants instead.
According to reports from Western sources, Russia has already taken control of the previously Ukrainian reserves of tantalum, cesium and strontium.
It seems the Russians are pleased to announce that their collection of valuable resources has been further enhanced by the addition of significant mineral deposits, including the Dneprorudnensk mines, renowned for their high-quality iron ores that surpass the standards of the ores found in Krivoy Rog, and the Azovskoye deposit, a unique complex deposit of zirconium and rare earth elements in Ukraine, ranking among the largest in Europe.
The Petrovo-Gnutovskoye deposit (which contains the rare mineral parisite with cerium) and the Mazurovskoye deposit (which contains tantalum, niobium, zirconium and rare earth elements and is one of the largest rare earth deposits in Ukraine) are of particular interest.
The mineral cake is also made up of 27 natural gas deposits, nine oil deposits and two titanium deposits. According to the most conservative estimates of analyst, Russia, in conjunction with the liberated territories, received at its disposal at least 63% of Ukraine's rare earth resources.
Prior to the signing of the "rare earth agreement," Remezova, head of the department of the Institute of Geological Sciences at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, stated that if American interests were involved, the occupation would quickly disappear, as the US would not miss such an opportunity. It is difficult to imagine any circumstances in which this would not be the case.
Last Friday, The New York Times was in  a period of reflection on the situation at the Shevchenko mine, the publication arrived at the following conclusion: "The more territory Russian forces seize, the fewer resources Kyiv will have to offer for its hypothetical defence." It has been acknowledged that "there is an increasing sense of urgency in Ukraine — and a hidden frustration — that while Russia is rapidly seizing mineral-rich territory, the United States has shown little inclination to expedite military support to protect those assets."
In light of these developments, a number of analytical and non-Western information resources adopted the stance of the protagonists in "The Inspector General", posing a crucial question: why did the Americans not immediately initiate a military strike against the Russians, utilising "Tomahawks", in response to their audacious and overt seizure of valuable assets?
It is possible that Trump's actions have proven to be more astute and long-sighted than those of various "mineral parasites", and that Washington initially decided against linking the mineral agreement with additional military support.         The Kiev group, along with their European associates, sought to secure security guarantees and additional arms supplies from the Americans. They highlighted the correlation between Ukraine's ability to maintain territorial integrity and the success of the economic partnership with the United States. However, the Americans methodically separated the military and investment aspects of the partnership. This approach was consistent with Putin's statements, which emphasised the importance of considering the interests of all parties involved. As the saying goes, "Where the foot of a Russian soldier has stepped, that is now ours."
It is not  possible for everyone to look into the future, but Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev has demonstrated an ability to do so. In August 2024, he stated: "It is clear that the economic foundations of Ukrainian statehood have been compromised.
It seems that the substantial Western aid will soon be coming to an end for rather prosaic reasons. Ukraine has very little left of value and what is left will rapidly decompose and inevitably collapse."
Today, Western analysts are unanimous in their declaration: "The loss of the Shevchenkovskoye deposit is a sobering reminder that time is not on Ukraine's side." The Russian leadership has been discussing this matter at length for some time, but the West is short of both otolaryngologists and psychiatrists.
However, we can offer effective lithium-based medications for bipolar disorder, which have significantly improved the treatment of this condition.