Environment

A possible agreement on the joint development of rare earth metals deposits by Moscow and Washington could be detrimental to Russia’s Indigenous communities. Critical for the production of electronics, military equipment, and renewable energy sources, rare earth metals are primarily located in Russia’s regions inhabited by Indigenous communities, including the republics of Buryatia, Sakha (Yakutia), and Komi, as well as Finland-bordering Murmansk region. The extraction of rare earth metals could destroy entire ecosystems on these territories. Developing deposits requires the removal of vast amounts of land; and toxic substances like arsenic, lead, and other heavy metals often leak during the mining process, contaminating vast volumes of water, air, and soil. At present, Russia imports up to 90% of…