** Shares of Lynas Rare Earths LYC.AX rise 3.7% to A$7.125, making them the second-biggest gainers on the S&P/ASX 200 .AXJO index, which is down 0.6%
** Stock rose as much as 4.4% earlier in the day to hit its highest level since January 16
** U.S. President Donald Trump pauses military aid to Ukraine, obstructing a deal to open up Ukraine's critical minerals to U.S. investment
** Last month, Lynas said it had the rare earths the West needs, while adding that tapping existing resources was much easier than developing anew in other countries
** About 3.5 million shares change hands, vs the 30-day average of 3.4 million
** Stock up 10.8% this year, including the day's move
(Reporting by Aaditya Govind Rao in Bengaluru)
((Aaditya.govindrao@thomsonreuters.com;))