After the 'sea of ​​fire' in Dnipro, Kiev accuses Moscow of continuing with a new attack plan, 'buying time' to gain negotiating leverage; the West competes for resources in Ukraine

The Independent (UK) newspaper quoted Kiev officials as saying that Russia is preparing a new offensive along the Ukrainian frontline to strengthen the Kremlin's position in ceasefire negotiations.

Ukrainian rescue workers work at the scene. (Source: EPA)

Military analysts and the Ukrainian government say Moscow is preparing for an offensive along a 621-mile frontline in Sumy, Kharkiv and Zaporizizhia.

"They are dragging out the negotiations and trying to push the US into endless and meaningless discussions about fake 'conditions' just to buy time and then try to seize more land," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

A hotel and restaurant were engulfed in flames after a Russian drone attack on Dnipro left four people dead and at least 19 others injured, the newspaper reported.

Russian forces launched more than 20 drones into the southeastern Ukrainian city overnight, causing fires throughout the hotel and a high-rise apartment building.

Footage showed flames and plumes of smoke rising into the sky, with Dnipro streets littered with broken glass and rubble.

Mr Zelensky said on the evening of March 29 that Ukraine expected a “serious response” from Western governments to the attacks.

For its part, the Trump administration is pushing for a major new resources deal with Kiev that would give the United States control over all of Ukraine’s energy and rare-earth mineral assets.

According to Donald Trump, the Rare Earth Metals (REM) Agreement will soon be signed between Washington and Kiev. Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) has also announced its intention to sign a similar agreement with Ukraine. However, according to the website “vz.ru”, Europe is actually likely to find the key elements for its modern industry much closer than Ukraine.

Geological data show that China, Brazil, Vietnam and Russia own the majority of global REM reserves, while Europe (including Ukraine) accounts for only 2.75%. Given the huge demand from high-tech industries, experts have expanded the concept of REM to include many other rare metals such as lithium, nickel, tungsten, titanium, etc.

Geopolitical and commercial competition is complicating the REM mining issue. The US wants control of Ukraine’s resources, while the EU is looking to avoid dependence on Russia and find alternatives to secure supplies.

Spain has emerged as a key candidate, with several REM-rich regions identified through the EU-funded EURARE project. If production reaches 35,000 tonnes per year, Spain could become Europe’s top supplier, reducing its reliance on imports. Norway is also believed to have Europe’s largest REM mine, helping the continent reduce China’s dominance in the sector.

In that context, the EU's desire to sign the REM agreement with Ukraine is considered a move to compete politically with the US, rather than a practical strategy for resource exploitation.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/sau-bien-lua-o-dnipro-kiev-to-moscow-tiep-uc-ke-hach-tan-cong-moi-bridge-gio-de-giang-the-dam-phan-phuong-tay-canh-tranh-tai-nguyen-o-ukraine-309371.html