To be an enemy of the US is dangerous but to be its friend is fatal,
You’re either going make a deal or we’re out,
Yes, it's a counter to China, but you've still got the problem of where the minerals are going to be processed and how long it's going to take,
Ukraine hasn't been mapped in 30 years. There's so much more to be done before we get to a phase of advanced exploration in Ukraine,
The reality is that most lithium deposits in Ukraine were identified in the Soviet era and we haven't had any real updates or exploration for many years,
Before the war broke out, I had a lot of commercial negotiations with ... investors who were interested in the project,
Even if everything stacks up, it would take a minimum of eight years for the Polokhivske deposit to be developed to the stage where it is producing usable lithium,
We are a backstop because we'll be over there, we'll be working in the country. That's a great thing economically for them,
I think there will be some alignment to this figure that Trump mentioned,
About 5% of all the world's 'critical raw materials' are located in Ukraine, which occupies only 0.4 per cent of the Earth's surface,
Other estimates are still confidential,
I have a lot of respect for him.”
While government-to-government agreements can be a helpful market signal to the private sector and spur investments that may otherwise not occur, challenges with the lack of reliable reserve data to confirm economic viability, the loss of key infrastructure [during the war], and the ongoing security risks in the region jeopardize the viability of long-term minerals investments."
Even in the long-term, the success of the bilateral agreement ultimately hinges on the ability of Ukraine to attract private investment in its mineral resources. The U.S. government cannot command private companies to mine in Ukraine as China and Russia can with their state-owned enterprises."
This poses a risk for mining companies that may end up disappointed after investing millions of dollars in less-than-inspiring deposits,
I wanted to have a sentence on security guarantees for Ukraine, and it's important that it's there,
The security guarantees from Trump is something that we really need. I would like to talk with him."
We simply do not actually have a great idea of what minerals are available in what quantities in Ukraine aside from vague ideas that there is a lot, and roughly in what regions they are kept. That alone is a risky proposition for mining companies, especially with mines being a generational venture, and that is before you introduce political risk."
Twenty-one of the 30 critical materials Europe needs can be provided by Ukraine in a win-win partnership,
The added value Europe offers is that we will never demand a deal that's not mutually beneficial,