Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday ordered the Russian cabinet to draw up by December 1 a road map for the extraction of rare earth minerals.
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In a list of tasks for ministers published on the Kremlin website, Putin also ordered the cabinet to take measures to develop transport links at Russia’s borders with China and North Korea.
Rare earths – used in smartphones, electric vehicles and weapons systems – have taken on vital strategic importance in international trade.
In April, US President Donald Trump signed a deal with Ukraine that will give the US preferential access to new Ukrainian minerals deals and fund investment in the country’s reconstruction.
Russia says it is also interested in partnering with the US on rare earth projects, but prospects have been held up by a lack of progress towards ending the war in Ukraine.
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China, the dominant producer of rare earths, has hit back at US tariffs this year by placing restrictions on their export.