2024-10-01 01:12:28
Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Serbia a few months ago to oppose plans for a lithium mine. What fuels the reactions? Russian disinformation, at least as claimed by Germany and the US.
The project is seen as crucial for European carmakers, who rely on lithium batteries for their shift to electrification – an area in which China has made rapid progress. Europeans as well as Americans believe that Moscow wants to undermine the project for this and are circulating conspiracy theories online.
Recently, Serbian social media has been doing the rounds of theories that the mining is not about lithium, but uranium, others that it will poison the country’s drinking water or that it will rain sulfuric acid over the capital, Belgrade. The mining giant, Rio Tinto, which manages the project, refutes all claims as completely false.
The mine has become an unlikely flashpoint in US-Russia relations. The West is trying to secure the minerals needed for the energy transition by reducing its dependence on Chinese-dominated supply chains. Moscow is seeking to maintain influence in a strategically important region by preventing Serbia from cultivating closer ties with the West, analysts told the Wall Street Journal.
After reviewing social media posts and newspaper articles related to the mine, the Global Engagement Center, a State Department office aimed at countering disinformation abroad, “considers it highly likely that the Kremlin played a role in spreading this misinformation ». Christopher Hill, the US ambassador to Serbia, told the WSJ that “while there are differences of opinion in the country about the mine, it is clear that Russia has seized the opportunity here to try to drive a wedge between Serbia and the West.”
Germany also believes that Russia is involved in the campaign against the project. “We saw clear signs of the Russian disinformation ecosystem,” a government official said. Russia did not respond to a request for comment.
However, in August, a spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said that “malign forces” were trying to undermine the Serbian government, which they have done in the past.
A controversial project
The lithium deposit, located near Loznica in the Jadar Valley in western Serbia, about 60 miles from Belgrade, promises to be a major asset for both Rio Tinto and Europe’s access to lithium.
It will produce lithium carbonate, a critical mineral used in batteries for electric vehicles or renewable energy storage facilities. It is projected to produce enough lithium for more than one million EV batteries annually for at least 40 years.
The Jadar project in 2021 was valued at $2.4 billion and still requires various approvals. Its supporters point out that it requires 3,500 people to build and 1,300 to operate, and will contribute about 1% directly and 4% indirectly to Serbia’s gross domestic product. However, it was a controversial project from the start, with many locals concerned about air and soil quality, mine waste and other environmental impacts.
Rio Tinto executives acknowledge that there are legitimate concerns and say they are trying to address them. CEO Jakob Stausholm flew to Serbia earlier this month to answer questions from the community during a televised six-hour visit.
“It is critical to have a fact-based public debate that allows people to form opinions based on accurate information,” he said.
roject was previously suspended in 2022 when the Serbian government revoked the permits after months of protests and the opposition made it a key issue in the last presidential election. Serbia’s government re-approved the project in July, signing a strategic partnership on critical minerals with the European Union.
Serbia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy speaks of “a wave of misinformation” about the project, which it says will create jobs without endangering public health or the environment.