economy
January 13, 2026
Kiev awards major mining project to Trump-linked investors
Kiev has awarded a major lithium project to investors linked to US President Donald Trump as a pilot scheme under a minerals deal
TL;DR
- Ukraine has selected Dobra Lithium Holdings JV, a US consortium, to develop one of its largest lithium reserves.
- This project is the first under a minerals deal signed in April between Ukraine and the US, which grants US access to Ukrainian natural resources.
- The deal involves a production-sharing contract where output revenue is split, with a portion going to the US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund (URIF).
- The consortium is expected to invest at least $179 million in the project, including exploration and extraction facilities.
- Potential conflicts of interest have been raised, as a US government agency overseeing the URIF is a major shareholder in one of the consortium's companies.
- Russia has condemned the deal, calling it a 'commercial scheme' to sell aid and extract wealth from Ukraine.
- Russian officials note that much of Ukraine's mineral wealth is located in regions that have joined Russia or are near front lines.
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