The world is changing globally, and with it, strategic interests. What was once oil at the negotiating tables of great powers – fueling the formation of new alliances among major global players and triggering wars – is now rare minerals. Donald Trump brought them into focus when he presented Ukraine with a bill for all the military and material aid it had received from the United States (U.S.) after its territory was attacked by Russia.
“We told Ukraine that they have extremely valuable rare earth metals. We are considering the possibility of an agreement with Ukraine under which they would repay us for what we are giving them through rare earth metals and other resources,” Trump said.
The U.S. wants rare minerals from several countries
Beyond Ukraine, the U.S. president wants rare minerals from other parts of the world, including Greenland, Canada, and the Congo. He does not hide his desire for control over Greenland. As early as 1867, then-U.S. President Andrew Johnson purchased Alaska and considered buying Greenland. Later, at the end of World War II, the administration of new U.S. President Harry S. Truman offered Denmark 100 million dollars in gold for the island. What neither of the two succeeded in doing, Trump now wants to accomplish, justifying it with concerns for his country’s security. However, Denmark is not accepting the offer on the table.
Climate change is dramatically affecting the world’s largest island, which loses a billion tons of ice annually. However, as the ice retreats, natural wealth and opportunities for resource exploitation – such as mining and fishing – are being revealed. The melting ice is providing access to rich deposits of oil and minerals, including rare earth metals, gold, uranium, and iron.
“If not by persuasion, then by force”
What can currently be heard from the U.S. is that they do not intend to give up on Greenland. Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President JD Vance accuses Denmark of failing to properly ensure the island’s security, emphasizing that the U.S. would better protect it. The Arctic is rich in natural resources (oil, gas, minerals), and as new shipping routes open due to ice melt, it is becoming increasingly strategically important. China and Russia are strengthening their presence in the Arctic, conducting joint military exercises, and investing in hypersonic missiles – something the U.S. sees as a threat to its security. As a result, it seeks control over the island, and if every word of President Trump is to be believed, he would not hesitate to use military force to achieve this if an agreement with Denmark on taking control of the island cannot be reached. In other words – if not by persuasion, then by force.
What is Dodik offering Trump?
While the U.S. demands rare earth minerals from Ukraine as part of a peace settlement, Russia is offering them to the U.S. on its own. Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to grant the U.S. access to rare minerals from Russia and from the occupied Ukrainian territories. Additionally, he has proposed joint projects with the U.S. in Siberia, including aluminum production and hydropower development.
A new player has also emerged among those offering rare minerals to Trump – Milorad Dodik, the president of the Republika Srpska (RS) entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
A politician who has been sentenced by the Court of BiH to one year in prison and a six-year ban on political activity (pending appeal) and who faces new indictments in his country, Dodik seeks to gain favor with the new U.S. administration. He hopes it will lift the sanctions imposed on him by the U.S. for undermining the Dayton Peace Agreement and for corruption, as well as help him navigate the legal and judicial troubles he brought upon himself through unconstitutional actions. To this end, he is offering the natural resources of his entity, with the claim that this would strengthen economic cooperation between the U.S. and RS!?
What is Dodik offering Trump? Mineral resources (lithium, magnesium, and other minerals), which he claims are located in the east of RS, near the Serbian border, and are worth more than 100 billion dollars.
Existing research indicates that BiH holds reserves of approximately 1.5 million tons of lithium carbonate in the municipalities of Lopare and Ugljevik. Preliminary studies suggest additional potential locations in the central and eastern parts of the country, including areas around Cajnice, Jezero, and Sipovo, as well as in Herzegovina. In total, about 20 locations have been identified for further exploration, including regions around the Drina River, Bijeljina, Zvornik, and Brcko, Forbes writes.
