Russia, Afghanistan talk rare-earth metals cooperation
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Russia and Afghanistan explore joint efforts in rare earth metals production, with strategic implications for global green energy and critical mineral markets dominated by China.
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A rare earth magnet being inspected at MP Materials' Independence facility in Fort Worth, Texas (AP)
Russia and Afghanistan have been discussing potential cooperation in rare-earth metals production, according to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, who made the announcement on the sidelines of KazanForum 2025 on Friday.
"At the forum, we touched on rare-earth metals. Obviously, Russia has all the necessary competencies for geological exploration," Overchuk stated, highlighting that Afghanistan's territory has been surveyed during the soviet era.
Overchuk noted that the date needs to be updated, a matter that Russia and Afghanistan are discussing.
Rare earths, consisting of 17 critical raw materials that are indispensable for the global shift toward green energy and intensely pursued by major powers such as China, Russia, the United States, and Europe, represent a strategically vital resource in the modern economy.
China currently produces 270,000 tonnes of rare earths annually, accounting for 90% of global refining, while the US Geological Survey, which identifies 50 minerals as critical, including all 17 rare earth elements, estimates that China controls roughly 60% of the world's reserves.
Beijing has restricted mineral exports to the United States in response to US trade policies. "Many critical materials are used in China in their own energy transition," Hykawy noted. "Eventually, Beijing will have no need for the US market."
The United States and Ukraine signed a deal on March 30 that would grant Washington preferential access to Kiev's wealth of rare earth minerals, while setting up a mutual fund dedicated to the rebuilding of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.
Despite this deal, because of the Chinese dominance in this market, the South China Post warned that the US-Ukraine minerals deal would not help the United States rid itself of its dependence on Beijing to obtain the rare elements critical for much of today's technologies.
