Ukraine gives large lithium deposit to Trump’s friend for development, NYT reports
9 January 23:58
Ukraine is handing over the development of the large Dobra lithium deposit in Kirovohrad Oblast to a consortium whose investors include Ronald Lauder, a friend of US President Donald Trump. This was reported by The New York Times, citing sources in the Ukrainian government, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
The project to develop the deposit in Kirovohrad Oblast may be one of the first to be implemented under the agreement between the US and Ukraine on cooperation in the field of mineral resources.
Who got the lithium deposit
The decision was made by a special government commission. According to two members of the commission, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, formal approval by the Cabinet of Ministers is still pending, but the agreement has already been agreed upon.
The winner of the tender was a consortium comprising:
- Ronald S. Lauder — heir to the Estée Lauder cosmetics empire and a long-time acquaintance of Donald Trump since their school days;
- TechMet — a company partly controlled by a US government investment agency created during Trump’s first term.
Members of the commission emphasize that the consortium won because it met most of the technical and financial criteria, rejecting accusations of political lobbying. At the same time, Kyiv makes no secret of the fact that cooperation with investors linked to Trump could strengthen Ukraine’s position in negotiations with the US, particularly on the eve of possible peace talks with Russia.
Lithium as a strategic resource
We are talking about the Dobrynske lithium deposit in central Ukraine — one of the largest in the country. Lithium is a key raw material for the production of batteries, electric vehicles, and other high-tech solutions.
The deposit will be developed under a production sharing agreement: investors will extract minerals in exchange for transferring part of the production or income to the Ukrainian state.
According to an intergovernmental agreement between Ukraine and the US on minerals, half of the revenue that the Ukrainian state will receive from this project will go to a joint Ukrainian-American investment fund.
How much will be invested and when to expect production
The minimum investment threshold set by the terms of the competition was $179 million. According to one of the commission members, the winners’ commitments are significantly higher, but the exact amount has not yet been disclosed.
At the same time, experts note that the path from exploration to actual lithium production is long. First, the consortium must conduct detailed geological studies and then invest in infrastructure and equipment. It is considered normal in the industry that it takes up to 15 years from the discovery of a deposit to industrial extraction — that is, significantly longer than Donald Trump’s current presidential term.
Nevertheless, this project is of strategic importance for Ukraine: it demonstrates the state’s readiness to integrate into global supply chains for critically important minerals and to use economic instruments to strengthen international support.
What is known about Dobra
The deposit is located in the Kirovohrad region (near Dobrovelychkivka) and is of strategic importance for the production of batteries for electric vehicles.
It is one of the largest lithium deposits in the country, with approximately 80-105 million tons of ore containing 1.1-1.4% Li₂O.
There are two sites (Stankuvate and Nadiya) with a combined total of approximately 1.2 million tons of lithium ore.
What is known about Ronald Lauder
Ronald Lauder has known Trump since his student days and reportedly suggested the idea of buying Greenland to him.
Lauder is a billionaire and a major Republican Party donor from New York. He is also the heir to the Estee Lauder cosmetics empire, founded by his parents, Estee and Joseph Lauder.
Forbes estimated Lauder’s fortune in May 2025 at $4.7 billion, placing him 796th on the list of global billionaires.
