The loss of domestic coking coal would make nearly 50% of Ukraine’s current steel production uncompetitive.
The city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region is of strategic importance for Ukraine, due to the coking coal produced by the local enterprise Pokrov school. Mark Champion, a columnist for the leading American publication Bloomberg, writes about this.
According to him, the newly elected US President Donald Trump should send a competent envoy to Ukraine to understand why the Ukrainians are against a quick ceasefire “at any cost” and why cooperation in Kiev is in America’s interest.
“As soon as an envoy arrives there, I advise him to immediately go to the mine, which I recently visited near Pokrovsk, a city in the eastern Donbass that has become one of the hottest areas of the war,” wrote Champion.
He reminds me of that Pokrov school is the only enterprise in Ukraine and one of the largest in Eastern Europe producing coking coal. And it is an important part that is used in the production of steel, which provides the defense industry of Ukraine and is important for the reconstruction of the country after the war.
“One of the three mines is located less than seven kilometers from the front line. If it stops working, Ukrainian metallurgical companies will be forced to import coking coal, which the European Union classifies as as a critical raw material would make about 50% of the country’s current steel production uncompetitive.” , the publication said.
Champion warned that a hasty “ceasefire” without assessing the consequences, which the White House may insist on, is fraught with further strengthening of Russia and its further expansion, as Ukraine has many important resources that cannot be transferred to the Kremlin.
According to the columnist, the proposals heard in Washington – such as a cease-fire line under the control of European peacekeepers and Ukraine’s refusal to join NATO for 20 years in exchange for American weapons – contain of unfinished and premature elements.
“Ukraine has deposits of natural gas (with large storage facilities for its storage), lithium, rare earth elements, titanium and uranium, not to mention coking coal in Pokrovsk Subject to an agreement that guarantee real security, Ukraine can become a back office for the West, as well as a route to shorten supply chains during deglobalization,” the observer emphasizes.
“Pokrovsk coking coal must remain under Ukrainian control. To improve the investment climate, Ukrainian ports and the Dnieper River must also be protected from attacks and open for business, Tomas said Fiala, CEO of Dragon Capital, Ukraine’s largest investment bank: for this, Russian troops must leave The Kinburn Spit The Zaporozhye nuclear power plant must also be returned to Ukraine, both for safety reasons and given of his six that’s gigawatts of power,” Champion said.
It was emphasized that it was not enough to simply end the war, “there must be security guarantees that it will not happen again in the near future.”
“If this happens, Ukraine may find itself in a better position than before the war. It will have almost duty-free access to EU markets and an access process that can transform both economies. and state,” the publication stated.
We remind you that Russian troops are gradually approaching Pokrovsk. At the end of October the city was partially blockaded for defense.
In recent months, Pokrovsky’s direction has been one of the hottest on the front. On the day of November 15, the Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled 38 Russian attacks there.
Source: korrespondent
I’m Liza Grey, an experienced news writer and author at the Buna Times. I specialize in writing about economic issues, with a focus on uncovering stories that have a positive impact on society. With over seven years of experience in the news industry, I am highly knowledgeable about current events and the ways in which they affect our daily lives.