European Commissioner for Industrial Strategy Stephane Séjournay, who is the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, announced that Ukraine and the EU have reached an agreement on the supply of critical raw materials, BTA reports.
According to him, this partnership will be of mutual benefit and will strengthen economic ties between the two countries. Séjournay made this statement yesterday during his visit to Kiev, where he held meetings with representatives of the Ukrainian government, Agence France-Presse reported.
The French European Commissioner was part of the delegation accompanying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Kiev. The visit took place on the third anniversary of the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and included meetings with European leaders and Ukrainian officials.
After a working session between the European Commission and the Ukrainian government in Kiev, Séjournay said:
"21 of the 30 critical materials that Europe needs can be provided by Ukraine in the framework of a partnership from which both sides will benefit."
The statement comes at a time when US President Donald Trump is emphasizing his country's desire to gain access to rare earth elements and other Ukrainian resources.
Séjournay stressed that Europe is distinguished by never offering an agreement that is not mutually beneficial.
It is noted that after a phone call with Vladimir Putin about two weeks ago, Trump has made a U-turn in the US position on the conflict in Ukraine. He has recently been demanding compensation for aid provided to Kiev, saying:
"We want rare earths and oil – everything we can get."
These words were uttered on Saturday during his speech to delegates at the Conservative Political Action Conference on the outskirts of Washington.
Countries around the world designate as critical or strategic minerals that are essential to their economies and energy transitions, especially in the face of supply chain disruptions. The United States has classified 50 such minerals, and the EU – more than 30, Agence France-Presse specifies.
Ukraine mines three of these critical minerals – titanium, graphite and manganese, and also has some of the largest lithium deposits in Europe.