Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his government to draw up a plan for the extraction and production of rare earth metals by December, as the country seeks to reduce its dependence on China's vast reserves and tap into growing global demand.
Russia boasts significant reserves of 15 rare-earth metals, totaling 28.7 million tonnes, according to the Natural Resources Ministry. However, this still accounts for only a fraction of the world's total stockpiles.
The move comes amid increasing interest in rare earths - essential components used in cutting-edge technologies such as smartphones, electric vehicles, and military systems. The US has also taken steps to secure its own supplies, signing deals with Ukraine to gain preferential access to new mineral deals and funding investment in the country's reconstruction.
Russia sees partnering with the US on rare-earth projects as a key area for cooperation. However, prospects have been hampered by ongoing tensions over Russia's war in Ukraine.
China, which dominates the global rare earths market, has hit back at US tariffs by imposing restrictions on exports. With the world shifting its focus to developing alternative supplies, Putin's plan is seen as an effort to bolster Russia's influence and reduce its reliance on foreign suppliers.
As part of his roadmap, Putin instructed government ministers to develop multimodal transport links with China and North Korea - including two existing railway bridges and a planned new bridge to North Korea. The new bridge must be completed by 2026, according to the plan.
The decision is seen as a strategic effort by Russia to strengthen its economic ties with neighboring countries and secure access to critical resources in an increasingly competitive global market.
Russia boasts significant reserves of 15 rare-earth metals, totaling 28.7 million tonnes, according to the Natural Resources Ministry. However, this still accounts for only a fraction of the world's total stockpiles.
The move comes amid increasing interest in rare earths - essential components used in cutting-edge technologies such as smartphones, electric vehicles, and military systems. The US has also taken steps to secure its own supplies, signing deals with Ukraine to gain preferential access to new mineral deals and funding investment in the country's reconstruction.
Russia sees partnering with the US on rare-earth projects as a key area for cooperation. However, prospects have been hampered by ongoing tensions over Russia's war in Ukraine.
China, which dominates the global rare earths market, has hit back at US tariffs by imposing restrictions on exports. With the world shifting its focus to developing alternative supplies, Putin's plan is seen as an effort to bolster Russia's influence and reduce its reliance on foreign suppliers.
As part of his roadmap, Putin instructed government ministers to develop multimodal transport links with China and North Korea - including two existing railway bridges and a planned new bridge to North Korea. The new bridge must be completed by 2026, according to the plan.
The decision is seen as a strategic effort by Russia to strengthen its economic ties with neighboring countries and secure access to critical resources in an increasingly competitive global market.
so i hope this plan goes through and they can become more self sufficient...but it will be interesting to see how this plays out with china and us 
like, how do you even get into that game? they're basically just gonna replicate china's strategy and hope no one notices... or worse, gets caught up in another ukraine mess 
anyway, partnering with us on rare-earth projects is a pretty sweet move for rus - i mean, who wouldn't want to work with the land of freedom and apple pie? 
but seriously, it's good for them to diversify their resources... maybe they'll even be able to outcompete china eventually 
Putin's like "oh we need rare earths" and then he orders his government to make a plan but honestly it feels like he's just trying to keep up with china's game 
Putin says partnering with the US is key but i'm not buying it 
these two are always playing hard to get, when will russia just admit it's trying to sabotage china's dominance? 
Russia's got 28.7 million tonnes of rare earths but like a fraction of the world's total stockpiles lol 
but, of course, there's always tension between them over ukraine 
. anyway, i'm curious to see if russia can actually pull off their plan and become a major supplier of these metals 
!
They can't keep relying on China's vast reserves forever! 
Maybe they'll even share some of their expertise? 
Tensions between Russia and the West won't exactly make it easy for them to work with the US! 
Would Russia be able to withstand that kind of pressure? 
. Russia thinks partnering with the US is gonna solve its problems, but what about the costs? We're talking billions of dollars for infrastructure projects and investments... it's just not that simple 
. Not to mention, North Korea? What's next, a bridge to Iran or something? It just seems like more of the same geopolitics we've seen for years 
. Overall, I'm just intrigued to see how Russia's gonna shake things up in the global market! 
I've always wondered how our phones and gadgets work, and now it's like we're getting closer to understanding the magic behind them! 
Russia trying to get its own rare earth metals game on is a great move. Can't wait to see what tech innovations come out of this! 
, have you guys noticed how some governments just wanna make everything into a supply chain drama? 
Russia's all like "Hey, we need rare earths for our fancy tech" and the US is all "We're gonna help them out, but only if they play nice" 
... who even lives there anymore? 
! They got 28.7 million tonnes, which is still a tiny fraction of China's stash 
. I mean, who doesn't love a good competition 
? The US is also trying to get in on the action 
! But, honestly, it's all about the money 
. Russia's trying to create multimodal transport links with China and North Korea 
maybe this will create some nice opportunities for businesses on both sides