It is obvious why the international mining markets must pay attention to all of this. Russia is the world's leading producer and exporter of energy. It is a dominant global player and swing pricemaker in the world markets for nickel, palladium, diamonds, cobalt, potash, and titanium. By virtue of the geological prospecting already completed, and its cost of production, Russia is a major global miner of gold, silver, uranium, iron ore, and coal. It is also a global rival to international producers of aluminium, copper, and zinc.