Putin beordrar styrkor att gå in i Ukraina - INVASION NU (2022-02-24)

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has*told Reuters*he is ready to do a deal with U.S. President Donald Trump that includes U.S. involvement in developing Ukraine's huge deposits of rare earths and other critical minerals.

Trump said on February 3 that he wanted Ukraine to supply the U.S. with rare earths in return for financially supporting Kyiv's war effort against Russia.

Ukraine has tremendous natural resources for meeting domestic oil and gas production needs, with estimates of approximately 900 billion cubic meters of proven reserves of natural gas. In Europe, Ukraine ranks second for gas reserves. Three Ukrainian regions contain hydrocarbons resources: the Dnipro-Donetsk basin, the Carpathian region in western Ukraine, and the Black Sea and Crimea region in the south. The Dnipro-Donetsk basin is a major oil and gas producing region accounting for 90 percent of all current Ukrainian production. The structure of hydrocarbons production in Ukraine is as follows: natural gas 89 percent, oil 7.9 percent, and gas condensate 3.1 percent. The primary source of hydrocarbons in Ukraine is natural gas, though the most lucrative gas reserves are located below 5,000 meters.

What role does Ukraine play in global food security?
Ukraine is one of the world's major grain producers. The country mainly grows and exports wheat, corn and barley. According to the European Commission, Ukraine accounts for 10% of the world wheat market, 15% of the corn market, and 13% of the barley market. With more than 50% of world trade, it is also the main player on the sunflower oil market.

Ranked in first and second place respectively, corn and wheat are also the world's most widely grown cereals. A major exporter like Ukraine dropping out can have serious consequences for global food security.