On Saturday, the U.S. State Department denied that it supported anti-government protests in Serbia that focused on a planned lithium mine in Serbia.which sparked widespread protests last week, opposition figures demanded continueWhile Serbian farmers, environmentalists and citizens fight to protect the picturesque Jadar Valley, it has also become a proxy battleground for Washington, Berlin, Moscow and Beijing.
The Jadar Valley is a lush agricultural area rich in lithium oreessential for batteries for electric vehicles. Rio Tinto’s $2.4 billion mining and refining project couldoffer up to nine tenths of Europe’s current lithium demand, enough forEstimated 1 million EV batteries per year.
Last month, SerbiaApproval for the project restoredwhich was withdrawn in 2022 after protests against the government. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic insisted that strict environmental protection protocols be implemented, but opponents claim the project would destroy farmland and contaminate groundwater.
US and German officials support the mine as part of Europe’s green transformation and to reduce dependence on China, which is currently the main supplier of the processed form of the mineral. And while Serbia is currently cozy with China and Russia, the mine would continue integrate the country’s economy with that of Europe and the USA.
This, together with revelations that Serbia is a major supplier of ammunition to Ukraine, has sparked speculation that the protests are the work of pro-Russian groups seeking to keep Belgrade within Moscow’s sphere of influence. Vucic, meanwhile, claims they are led by “anarchists, Marxists and hidden fascists” and said last week that Moscow had warned him of an impending coup. We’ll be watching to see if more Serbs take to the streets in the coming days – and if interest in the project falls along with electric vehicle sales.
