Natural resources and the price of freedom. A concise analysis of Ukraine’s natural resources and who wins more from their direct exploitation?

Raluca Iuliana Georgescu and Dumitru Alexandru Bodislav
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Raluca Iuliana Georgescu: Bodislav & Associates, Romania
Dumitru Alexandru Bodislav: Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania

Theoretical and Applied Economics, 2025, vol. XXXII, issue 3(644), Autumn, 257-270

Abstract: This article investigates the intricate relationship between natural resources and national freedom, focusing on Ukraine as a resource-rich yet geopolitically vulnerable state. It analyses the economic, political, environmental, and strategic dimensions of resource management and their implications for sovereignty, sustainability, and international security. Ukraine’s reserves of iron ore, titanium, uranium, coal, and fertile agricultural land are assessed in terms of economic viability, environmental risks, and their role in global supply chains. The study further explores how Russia, the European Union, and the United States benefit differently from Ukraine’s natural resources in the context of ongoing conflict, sanctions, and shifting alliances. While Ukraine possesses immense potential to become a key agricultural and mineral exporter and an energy-independent nation, political instability, war, and governance deficiencies have limited its capacity to capitalize on these advantages. The paper concludes that sustainable management, institutional reform, and integration into European and global markets are essential for Ukraine to transform its resource endowment into long-term freedom and prosperity.

Keywords: Ukraine; natural resources; economic independence; resource governance; geopolitical economy; energy security sustainable development. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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