The Strategic Importance of Mineral Resources for National Security

This article examines the growing role of mineral resources in the context of ensuring the national security of leading global powers. Today, the sustainable use of critical and rare earth minerals is becoming a key factor in geopolitical influence, economic sovereignty, and technological superiority in the 21st century. As an example, it analyzes the strategic measures taken by the United States and Russia to reduce the risks associated with the supply of materials critical to the defense industry, ensure long-term access to these resources, minimize dependence on raw materials, and strengthen their positions in the global market in the face of developing military technologies. The author notes that ensuring access to critical minerals creates a new reality in which technological leadership and military power directly depend on the reliability of raw materials. Ultimately, the security of supply of critical materials is becoming an integral part of the foundation of state sovereignty in the 21st century.