BRUSSELS 

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said Thursday that critical minerals should never be used as a tool of "blackmail," voicing support for a new US-led initiative aimed at securing and diversifying global supply chains for key raw materials.

Sikorski made the remarks after attending the Critical Minerals Ministerial conference hosted by the US State Department on Wednesday, which focused on strengthening supply chains for materials essential to clean energy, electronics, and defense industries.

"This is a very important issue for the entire West... The United States has identified a serious problem that our companies have already been facing for some time: first, there was a shortage of magnets, and then we were confronted with proposals that would, in fact, introduce rationing of critical minerals," Sikorski said, according to TVP World.

His comments came amid growing concern in Western capitals following China’s announcement last year of export restrictions on several rare-earth metals, as well as warnings that supplies to foreign defense companies could be halted.

Sikorski said Washington has now proposed "a major international initiative" on critical minerals security, adding that Poland and other EU member states support its objectives.

"This is part of our economic security and the security of supply chains," he said, stressing that critical minerals "should never be the subject of blackmail" and that production must be more geographically diversified.

US officials, including Vice President J.D. Vance, have floated the idea of creating a trade bloc of countries committed to shielding supplies of key minerals from geopolitical pressure.

The proposal includes setting minimum prices for certain earth materials to encourage new mining and processing projects, a move Washington says is intended to counter market distortions caused by dominant producers.

Sikorski said negotiations on the US proposal are expected to intensify in the coming weeks, both within the EU and at the level of individual member states.

"Much will depend on the details," he said, noting that discussions would include minimum pricing mechanisms and the governance structure of the proposed framework.

Critical minerals—including lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements—are essential for technologies ranging from electric vehicle batteries and wind turbines to smartphones and military equipment.

The European Court of Auditors (ECA) warned that the EU risks failing to secure sufficient critical raw materials for its renewable energy transition by 2030.

In a newly released report, the ECA said the EU relies heavily on a small number of non-EU countries, including China, Türkiye, and Chile, for materials such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, and rare earth elements used in batteries, wind turbines, and solar panels.