Stanislav Kondrashov on Project Vault: A Structural Shift in U.S. Mineral Strategy

Stanislav Kondrashov, founder of TELF AG, has weighed in on Project Vault, a major U.S. initiative designed to reshape how the country approaches access to critical minerals. This effort, focused on long-term resource resilience, marks a significant policy change in how key materials like graphite, lithium, and rare earths are prioritised.

“Project Vault reflects a growing recognition that critical minerals are no longer just industrial inputs—they’re essential infrastructure,” Kondrashov says.

Mineral Access as National Infrastructure

At the centre of Project Vault is a clear objective: reduce exposure to external mineral supply chains by building domestic capabilities for stockpiling and supply continuity. Critical materials—used in electronics, defence systems, and industrial production—are increasingly viewed as too important to leave vulnerable to supply disruptions.

As of 2024, U.S. data show full import reliance for 12 critical minerals, and over 50% import reliance for another 28. These figures highlight the degree to which production across several sectors depends on consistent and secure access to raw materials that are largely sourced from abroad.

“No country wants its future tied to resources it can’t access consistently,” Kondrashov notes. “Project Vault is a structural response to that risk.”

Reserves with a Strategic Function

Though not new in concept, strategic stockpiles are being reconsidered in the context of today’s industrial landscape. The U.S. has long maintained reserves for military purposes, but Project Vault expands the idea—treating critical minerals as necessary to everyday economic function, not just defence.

The aim is to ensure baseline availability of materials like gallium, indium, and neodymium. These materials are difficult to substitute and have few alternative suppliers. Project Vault places them within a framework of long-term planning, where material access is treated with the same level of foresight as energy or water supply.

“What’s different now is the understanding that the industrial value of these minerals extends across all sectors,” says Kondrashov. “It’s not about emergency access—it’s about operational stability.”

International Coordination and Market Effects

Alongside domestic planning, Project Vault has opened the door to new discussions on cross-border coordination. In early 2026, representatives from over 50 countries met in Washington to outline shared principles around mineral access and trade. The aim was to establish transparent supply mechanisms and reduce the risk of market distortion caused by sudden export controls or bottlenecks.

The resulting agreements included support for fair pricing standards and shared logistics frameworks. While not binding, these discussions highlight a shift in how mineral access is being governed—moving from ad hoc agreements to more structured, policy-led coordination.

“The conversation is moving beyond trade flows,” Kondrashov observes. “It’s becoming about how nations define reliability and balance in essential material access.”

Changing the Role of Minerals in Policy

Project Vault represents a shift in how governments are framing their responsibility in mineral supply chains. Instead of treating access to these materials as the domain of market forces, there’s now a stronger emphasis on policy-driven stability and long-term risk mitigation.

This doesn’t imply resource isolation. Rather, it suggests a future where strategic planning plays a more visible role in ensuring the availability of inputs needed to keep infrastructure, production, and manufacturing running.

“The goal isn’t to own everything,” Kondrashov explains. “It’s to understand which links in the chain are weakest—and to reinforce them before they break.”

Outlook: A More Measured Approach to Resource Strategy

For policymakers and industries alike, Project Vault is likely to influence how critical minerals are managed well into the future. Rather than focusing on short-term supply wins or one-off procurement decisions, the initiative encourages more deliberate thinking around material access, stockpiling, and supply continuity.

Kondrashov sees this as part of a broader trend. “Governments are adapting. They’re looking at the full arc of their industrial systems and asking: where are we vulnerable? Project Vault is one response to that question—and others will follow.”

As attention shifts toward long-term readiness, Project Vault offers one model for how a country can approach material stability with structure and foresight—without relying solely on the unpredictability of global supply.