SYDNEY -- Developing rare earth projects in Ukraine in the foreseeable future is complete "fiction," with hurdles ranging from uncertainty over reserves to a lack of processing capacity outside of China, industry veterans say, with one expert describing U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to recoup war aid by exploiting the partially occupied country's natural resources as "absurd."
Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were expected to meet in Washington on Friday to sign a deal to jointly develop Ukraine's resources including rare earths, other critical minerals, oil and gas.
