Problem No. 4: Several of Ukraine's most promising mineral prospects — including lithium and rare earths used in the defense and electronics industry — are either under Russian occupation or on the front lines.

It's not easy to build a mine in a warzone, as it turns out.

Problem No. 3: The technology to extract and process some of these minerals — like the "rare earths" Trump is fixated on — is advanced and expensive.

China currently processes 90% of rare earths worldwide and it's the only country with enough know-how and infrastructure to do it on a large scale.

Problem No. 2: Extracting minerals takes time and costs money, especially in a country whose basic infrastructure (think roads, factories, power plants) has been decimated by the war.

Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction costs are estimated at $524B — a sum many private investors would balk at.

Italy violated citizens' right to life by failing to deal with large-scale illegal waste dumping in Campania's Terra dei Fuochi, the European Court of Human Rights ruled today.

With @elenagiordano.bsky.social and @mariannegros.bsky.social on @politico.eu

🔗 www.politico.eu/article/euro...

The cutoff of Russian gas via Ukraine on January 1 hasn't done much to curb Europe's appetite.

According to our analysis, EU countries are still importing LNG from Russia at record volumes.

Story with @gabrielgavin.bsky.social on @politico.eu

🔗 www.politico.eu/article/eu-d...

New Year's resolution, EU edition: Recycle more electronic waste. Much, much more.

@mariannegros.bsky.social and I walk you through the looming sustainability targets for 2025 and how close EU countries are to meeting them on @politico.eu

www.politico.eu/article/eu-g...

May you always go through life with the confidence of François Bayrou.

@victorglaf.bsky.social and Clea Calcutt tell you all you need to know about France's new prime minister: www.politico.eu/article/fran...

Bashar Assad's regime in Syria fell Sunday, after 25 years of rule and 13 years of civil war.

It took about a day for EU countries to decide it's time to send millions of Syrian refugees home — to an impoverished, devastated country.

More on that on @politico.eu www.politico.eu/article/syri...

Do Donald Trump's threats to wage a trade war against China amount to economic suicide? The data suggests this might be the case.

But Europe should worry too. @camgijs.bsky.social and @bmoens.bsky.social explain why on @politico.eu:

www.politico.eu/article/euro...

Cǎlin Georgescu doesn't hate NATO — but he isn't exactly its No. 1 fan, either.

Allies worry about what his election as Romania's president might mean for the alliance and its deterrence capabilities in the East.

Story with @laukaya.bsky.social on @politico.eu

www.politico.eu/article/roma...