Russian billionaire Vladimir Potanin has said he is wants to ramp up exploration of rare earth reserves in Russia and Russian-occupied Ukraine, hinting that “foreign partners” may be brought into the fold amid the Trump-drive thaw.
Potanin, who owns the metallurgical giant Norilsk Nickel (Nornickel) and like most oligarchs in Russia, has close links with President Vladimir Putin, said there are many resources in Russia which remain unexplored.
His comments on Tuesday, cited by state news agency Interfax, follow an overture by Putin this month offering Trump the opportunity to jointly explore Russian deposits of rare earth metals. They also came on the same day as CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said Russia’s sovereign wealth fund wants to partner with U.S, companies to explore minerals in Russia.
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