The Battle for Ukraine's Titanium
Western support for Ukraine over the past year has tied the U.S. and its European Union-NATO allies inextricably to Kyiv's fate. President Vladimir Putin's second invasion of the country appears to have backfired, driving Ukraine deeper into the arms of the Euro-Atlantic community and cementing Kyiv's ambition for membership of the EU and NATO.
Now, there is a nascent effort underway in the U.S. and allied nations to identify, develop, and utilize Ukraine's vast resources of a key metal crucial for the development of the West's most advanced military technology which will form the backbone of future deterrence against Russia and China.
Titanium is a lightweight yet strong metal used extensively in advanced military applications like fighter jets, helicopters, naval ships, tanks, long-range missiles, and many others.
If Ukraine wins, the U.S. and its allies will be in pole position to cultivate a new conduit of titanium. But if Russia manages to seize the country's deposits and plants, Moscow will boost its global influence over increasingly strategic resource.
https://archive.ph/uBH4S#selection-739.0-773.248