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As Ukraine battles to rebuild in the shadow of war, it is also awakening to the potential beneath its feet. The government has launched a tender for the Dobra lithium deposit, a resource-rich site in central Kirovohrad, as part of its budding minerals cooperation with the United States, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko made the announcement with a clear agenda: Ukraine is not just inviting extraction, it wants value addition in the country. The winning bidder will not just mine; they must invest in refining, processing, and lifting local capability.
The tender, set to open in the coming months, calls for a $179 million commitment. That covers exploration, production, and enrichment, with a 50-year license and obligations for Ukrainian labour and community investment. It is the first tangible step under the US–Ukraine minerals deal signed in May, which gives US companies preferred access to Ukraine’s critical minerals while repatriating profits and reinvesting them into reconstruction and military support.
But the announcement did not clear all the clouds. Nasdaq-listed Critical Metals and its major shareholder, Australian European Lithium, claim they already hold rights to Dobra through a court-supported acquisition. Yet despite a 2023 court ruling in their favour, the government never granted the license, creating a dispute that risks spooking investors.
Ukraine is not looking sideways; it is reinforcing ties with Washington. Economy Minister Oleksii Sobolev told Bloomberg the accompanying investment fund is “progressing very nicely.” A US delegation is expected in Kyiv soon to finalise who gets the early stages of funding and which projects qualify.
For a country rich in minerals, holding a third of Europe’s lithium, vast supplies of graphite, titanium, and rare earths, the implications are big. The minerals agreement can serve as an economic lifeline and geopolitical lever. But it is a double-edged sword.
On one hand, the deal creates a mechanism to channel Western capital, diversify supply chains away from China, and fund military and reconstruction needs. It represents a strategic investment in Ukraine’s sovereignty and economic rebuilding.
On the other hand, ceding preferential access to US companies raises red flags about long-term control over Ukraine’s national assets. Some critics argue the deal skirts legal safeguards around resource sovereignty and lacks binding security guarantees, vital for operating in a conflict zone.
This deal is a bet on Ukraine’s resilience, but with reservations. If properly structured, the lithium tender is a bold step toward industrialising extraction and turning mines into job-generating assets. But the looming legal conflict over Dobra shows how fragile investor trust remains.
For Kyiv, it is about reconciling urgent reconstruction needs with careful stewardship of national wealth. The United States brings deep pockets and global market access, useful ammunition in war and rebuilding. But Ukraine must ensure this is not a short-term band-aid that opens the door for future exploitation.
Ultimately, this US–Ukraine minerals framework can be a foundation to build on if it is made fair, transparent, and genuinely Ukrainian-led.
