Russia wants to seize and share $10-12T of mineral deposits in Ukraine and share them with China.

American Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said that the US should contribute to Ukraine’s victory in the war to prevent the Russian Federation, together with China, from gaining access to important minerals located in Ukrainian territory. The senator stated that Ukraine has critical mineral reserves worth $10-12T.

“They could be the richest country in all of Europe. I don’t want to give that money and those assets to Putin to share with China. If we help Ukraine now, they could be the best business partner we’ve ever dreamed of”, emphasized the American politician.

Note that the primary asset in the Donbas is coal, especially anthracite, which is widely used in energy and metallurgy. Currently, all deposits of this valuable type of solid fuel are located in the occupied territories, in 71% of the region’s mines. Before the war in 2013, 151 mines were operating in Donbas, but by the end of 2022, only 33 remained.