Ukraine is becoming the biggest loser. They lost thousands of young soldiers and civilians. They were forced to sign a deal giving out some expensive, rare earth minerals. The invader and their main supporter are discussing the terms of peace without them. From the look of things, they might lose some part of their territory.
The US's desperation to acquire lithium, graphite, manganese, titanium and others was because China has established itself as a major player in the rare earth mineral industry. Australia and Chile might be the major producers of lithium but China controls the market. Thereby giving them an edge in the global lithium battery sector.
This should be a lesson to nations that depend on others to fight wars.
A ceasefire was difficult to achieve because Ukraine insisted on NATO membership. If Zelinski had not insisted on joining NATO, Russia would not have attacked Ukraine. There is no free lunch. When America helped Ukraine fight Russia, the bill eventually emerged with an agreement on Ukraine's rare earth deposits. However, after further investigation, it was discovered that there are only a few rare earths in Ukraine, especially since the mining and extraction process takes a long time and requires funds that are difficult to calculate and certainly not necessarily profitable. At this time, Ukraine has no bargaining position (a dead card). The lesson learned from the case of Ukraine and the United States is not to negotiate if you have no bargaining chips. If you have no bargaining chips, the only options left are to rely on developed countries and foreign debt.