France is keenly interested in Ukraine's natural resources and has been negotiating their use since October last year. French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced this, emphasizing that President Emmanuel Macron had instructed him to deal with this issue.
"In this case, it is not about returning our money but about the needs of our defense industry," Lecornu explained.
According to a study of global mining data, Ukraine has about 5% of the world's mineral reserves, but not all of them are being developed. The country has manganese, uranium, graphite, and iron ore reserves used in the defense and technological sectors. The total value of natural resources is estimated at more than 14 trillion euros, 60% of which is coal.
