Putin Accelerates Russia’s Rare Earth Ambitions with December Extraction Plan to Challenge China’s Dominance

President Vladimir Putin has instructed his government to produce a national roadmap for rare earth mineral extraction by December 1, signalling a renewed push to position Russia as a key player in the global race for critical minerals.

The directive, published on the Kremlin’s official website, also orders the creation of new transport and logistics hubs along Russia’s borders with China and North Korea — a move aimed at bolstering trade routes and expanding Moscow’s strategic footprint in the Asia-Pacific.

Rare earth elements — 17 metals essential for smartphones, electric vehicles, renewable energy systems and precision weaponry — are now at the centre of a global competition for technological dominance. Putin’s order underscores Russia’s intention to reduce its reliance on Chinese supply chains and tap into its own vast but underdeveloped reserves.

According to the Natural Resources Ministry, Russia’s deposits span 15 rare-earth metals totalling about 28.7 million tonnes. However, estimates from the US Geological Survey suggest a much smaller reserve of 3.8 million tonnes, still leaving Moscow far behind China, which overwhelmingly controls global production.

Beijing’s tightening of export controls this year has heightened Western anxiety over supply chains. In response, Washington has struck new deals, including a 2024 agreement with Ukraine granting the US preferential access to mineral projects critical to energy and defence industries.

Moscow, meanwhile, has signalled interest in collaborating with the US. In March, Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s investment envoy, said American companies had shown interest in Russian rare-earth ventures, though talks have since stalled amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The latest order follows discussions at September’s Far Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, where Putin emphasised the need to strengthen infrastructure and expand Russia’s export capacity. The plan includes building multimodal logistics centres and railway bridges connecting Russia to China and a planned new link to North Korea, which he said should be operational by 2026.

Both Beijing and Pyongyang have deepened economic ties with Moscow since Western sanctions took hold, offering Russia new pathways to strengthen its regional influence.

Analysts say the roadmap could mark a turning point in Russia’s resource strategy — transforming its rare-earth reserves into geopolitical leverage at a time when global demand for clean energy technology and advanced weapons is soaring.