CNN’s Bill Weir: Companies Would Have to Pour Billions of Dollars and Spend Decades Just Getting the Infrastructure in Place for Ukraine’s Minerals

BROWN We are just ░░░░░░░░ away from Ukrainian President ░░░░░░░░ Zelenskyy s arrival at ░░░░░░░░ White House Front and ░░░░░░░░ in today s visit ░░░░░░░░ s natural resources especially ░░░░░░░░ rare earth minerals and ░░░░░░░░ role they could play ░░░░░░░░ ending the war with ░░░░░░░░ CNN s chief climate ░░░░░░░░ Bill Weir joins us ░░░░░░░░ Bill what kind of ░░░░░░░░ does Ukraine actually have ░░░░░░░░ That is the trillion ░░░░░░░░ question Pamela A lot ░░░░░░░░ the information is a ░░░░░░░░ outdated We re not ░░░░░░░░ sure but best estimates ░░░░░░░░ now is they have ░░░░░░░░ abundance of the stuff ░░░░░░░░ is going to become ░░░░░░░░ more valuable as the ░░░░░░░░ moves away from fossil ░░░░░░░░ the fuels that burn ░░░░░░░░ a more electrified future ░░░░░░░░ as well We re ░░░░░░░░ about these particulars because ░░░░░░░░ the products they lead ░░░░░░░░ Titanium for example super ░░░░░░░░ and light That s ░░░░░░░░ it s used to ░░░░░░░░ fighter jets Lithium of ░░░░░░░░ goes into the batteries ░░░░░░░░ both cars and all ░░░░░░░░ gadgets in our lives ░░░░░░░░ is used in steel ░░░░░░░░ In fact some startups ░░░░░░░░ using it as thermal ░░░░░░░░ It s sort of ░░░░░░░░ dense form of carbon ░░░░░░░░ nickel and cobalt is ░░░░░░░░ in battery supplies also ░░░░░░░░ turbines and most of ░░░░░░░░ is found in places ░░░░░░░░ Congo A lot of ░░░░░░░░ to the environment to ░░░░░░░░ populations there as well ░░░░░░░░ so President Zelenskyy is ░░░░░░░░ Come to Ukraine and ░░░░░░░░ can provide a lot ░░░░░░░░ these sorts of things ░░░░░░░░ not all of these ░░░░░░░░ equal Like titanium for ░░░░░░░░ Pretty big reserves in ░░░░░░░░ western part of the ░░░░░░░░ easy to get to ░░░░░░░░ lithium relatively tiny little ░░░░░░░░ and half of it ░░░░░░░░ is behind Russian occupied ░░░░░░░░ lines right now a ░░░░░░░░ more complicated And when ░░░░░░░░ comes to nickel and ░░░░░░░░ as well it s ░░░░░░░░ complicated in terms of ░░░░░░░░ it out And then ░░░░░░░░ the Russian invasion something ░░░░░░░░ 80 of these deposits ░░░░░░░░ even been exploited Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ very very in the ░░░░░░░░ stages of major industrial ░░░░░░░░ So regardless of whatever ░░░░░░░░ is struck today investors ░░░░░░░░ the U S and ░░░░░░░░ countries would have to ░░░░░░░░ hundreds of millions billions ░░░░░░░░ dollars and spend up ░░░░░░░░ decades just getting the ░░░░░░░░ in place especially in ░░░░░░░░ country where half of ░░░░░░░░ electricity grid has been ░░░░░░░░ by this war And ░░░░░░░░ example the lithium in ░░░░░░░░ is much harder to ░░░░░░░░ because of the geology ░░░░░░░░ The rocks are different ░░░░░░░░ in Chile and Australia ░░░░░░░░ it s easier to ░░░░░░░░ So a lot of ░░░░░░░░ around the plans and ░░░░░░░░ not enough production to ░░░░░░░░ any difference in this ░░░░░░░░ right now.”