US President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed an agreement on Monday on joint projects for the extraction of rare earth metals.
“Over the next six months, the US and Australia will jointly invest more than $3 billion in projects involving critical metals, with the value of the resources that can be extracted estimated at $53 billion,” according to a White House press release.
It does not specify where exactly the extraction is planned to take place.
In addition, the Pentagon plans to invest in the construction of a gallium processing plant in Western Australia with a capacity of 100 tons per year, the US administration noted.
Earlier, the Experts Club information and analytical center analyzed the global market for rare earth metals in the world and Ukraine. The video is available here: https://youtu.be/UHeBfpywpQc?si=0L-2nSUrLlIbqVZ5?si=Fk6Oi_13NKpEW81K
Against the backdrop of rapid growth in international gold prices, residents of a number of Asian countries really did rush to buy bullion — and in the first half of the day, stores sometimes closed by noon. Vietnamese people in a number of cities lined up at dawn when legislation finally abolished the state monopoly on gold trading.
Meanwhile, the price of gold has already surpassed $4,300 per ounce and continues to hit historic highs.
Growing expectations of a Fed interest rate cut and tensions in US-China relations have pushed investors toward “safe havens” — gold has become a safe asset. Against the backdrop of inflationary pressure and market volatility, the precious metal is once again in the spotlight for investors.
In Australia, at the peak of gold price growth, areas and rivers traditionally used by amateur gold miners (washing gold in river streams) are once again attracting attention. Some people are earning hundreds of dollars in just a few hours. This phenomenon is being covered by the media as a “gold renaissance” not only in the corporate sector, but also among mass investors.
Earlier, the Experts Club analytical center presented an analysis of the world’s leading gold-producing countries in its video on YouTube channel — https://youtube.com/shorts/DWbzJ1e2tJc?si=YuRnDiu7jtfUPBR9
According to the results of a study conducted by Active Group in collaboration with Experts Club in August 2025, Ukrainians’ attitude towards Australia is predominantly positive. 63.0% of respondents expressed a positive attitude towards this country, while only 2.2% of respondents had a negative attitude. At the same time, 32.3% took a neutral position, and 2.4% admitted that they found it difficult to answer this question.
The largest share of positive responses fell into the “mostly positive” category – 40.0%, while 23.0% of respondents expressed a “completely positive” attitude. On the other hand, 1.9% of respondents had a “mostly negative” attitude, and only 0.4% had a “completely negative” attitude.
In 2024, trade turnover between Ukraine and Australia amounted to US$157.4 million. At the same time, exports of Ukrainian goods to Australia amounted to only US$6.4 million, while imports of Australian products amounted to US$151.0 million. The negative balance for Ukraine was recorded at US$144.6 million.
“The main areas of Australian exports to Ukraine traditionally include mineral raw materials, industrial goods, and agricultural products. In contrast, Ukrainian exports to Australia have a limited range and are mainly concentrated in the agricultural and metallurgical sectors,” notes economist and founder of Experts Club Maksim Urakin.
The full video can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgC9TPnMoMI&t
You can subscribe to the Experts Club YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@ExpertsClub
ACTIVE GROUP, AUSTRALIA, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, TRADE, UKRAINE, URAKIN
Australia has handed over JDAM-ER (Joint Direct Attack Munition Extended-Range) glider bombs to Ukraine after they were retired from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Australian Defense reports.
“The Department of Defense’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Plan, released on October 30, states that Australia will retire its 500-pound Australian-made Mk.82 JDAM-ER munitions in 2021, in conjunction with the retirement of the F/A-18A/B Classic Hornet fleet. The ADM can now confirm that at least some of these weapons were later transferred to Ukraine as part of Australia’s support to the warring nation. However, it is unclear when the ammunition was transferred to Ukraine,” the newspaper notes.
The first known use of the JDAM-ER in Ukraine was by the Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 in March 2023, but this weapon was supplied by the United States. Only in April 2024 did Australia confirm that it had supplied unspecified air-to-ground munitions to Ukraine.
In July 2024, the Ministry of Defense announced further transfers of unspecified air-to-ground weapons as part of a $250 million package.
The JDAM-ER kit was developed by the Defense Science and Technology Group (DSTG) in the early 2000s in cooperation with Boeing and Ferra Engineering. Ferra Engineering currently manufactures the kit under an agreement with Boeing that expires in 2028.
The Australian Government will provide another AUD31 million (almost $20.6 million) in aid to meet Ukraine’s energy and humanitarian needs, according to a joint press release from the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Development and Pacific Affairs.
“The new contribution includes AUD20 million to the Energy Support Fund for Ukraine, which will allow the funds to be used effectively and efficiently to provide Ukrainians with heat and electricity,” the document says.
According to the document, Australia will also provide AUD10 million to the UN Humanitarian Fund to support displaced persons and vulnerable groups to increase access to basic necessities such as water, food and shelter.
A further AUD1 million has been allocated through the UN Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to improve services for people with disabilities in Ukraine, including those in need of rehabilitation from war trauma.
“The Australian government remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting the people of Ukraine and doing its part with partner countries to ensure that Ukraine can end this conflict on its own terms,” said Minister for International Development Pat Conroy.
It is specified that in total, Australia has allocated more than AUD1 billion in aid to Ukraine, including AUD880 million in military support.
“The Albanese government (Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – IF-U) unwaveringly supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong emphasized.
The Energy Support Fund for Ukraine was established jointly by the European Commission and the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine. The Fund coordinates international donations and works in partnership with the Government of Ukraine to ensure that Ukraine’s highest priority energy needs are met.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Australia, Richard Marles, has announced another $100 million package of military assistance to Ukraine.
“Australia will stay with Ukraine for as long as it takes for Ukraine to win this war. To this end, we are today announcing another $100 million package of assistance to Ukraine. $50 million of this amount will be spent on short-range air defense systems, another $30 million will be spent on the purchase of drones, as Australia is part of the Drone Coalition with the UK and Latvia. The remainder will be used to purchase support equipment, from inflatable boats to helmets and boots,” Marles said at a joint briefing with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in Lviv on Saturday.
He added that Australia was also able to provide Ukraine with air-to-ground munitions.
