Russian Uranus: Putin has another lever to blackmail Europe - the media

The fact is that European nuclear power depends largely on the supply of fuel elements for nuclear power plants from Russia, which can become another pressure lever in the hands of President Vladimir Putin. The difficult situation at the European NPP is referred to in the material of the German edition of RND. Viewers write that the US and the EU continue to accept new sanctions against fossil fuels of Russia, but the nuclear industry has still been deprived of sanctions.

This enables Russia to earn millions in Europe on uranium and fuel elements for nuclear power plants. At the same time, this dependence is a delayed action bomb for EU countries, since it is unknown how long uranium will come from the Russian Federation. European nuclear power depends on Russian uranium - 20% comes directly from the Russian Federation, another 20% supplies Kazakhstan, where the Russian State Corporation "Rosatom" is engaged in the production and processing of uranium.

In addition, Rosatom is associated with more than 300 subsidiaries that are in Germany. Journalists point out that according to Euratom Community, Russia earns more than 450 million euros annually. Dependence on Russian uranium and fuel elements is especially large in Central and Eastern Europe, where there are 18 nuclear power plants built by Russia and which depend on Russian fuel elements.

Of course, Russian deliveries can be replaced by US supplies, which, for example, is engaged in American company Westinghouse. However, old NPPs in Europe work on hexagonal fuel rods produced by Rosatom, Western companies are not profitable to invest in the development of such fuel rods now. "In the short term of Uranus delivery from Russia it is impossible to replace. Therefore, the old NPPs will work at least ten more.

But these reactors do not have the future," said Vladimir Slivyak, a representative of the anti -nuclear movement "Ecobron". Another situation is in France because the country has its own production of the necessary work of NPP elements. Therefore, France may well stop the purchase of uranium in Russia, Slivak says, but there is not enough political will, and companies do not want to change anything, since there are no sanctions.

"France hopes that Putin will continue to be so cute and supply uranium. But this dangerous mistake Putin will definitely take advantage of this dependence," Slivak emphasized, adding that the President of the Russian Federation is simply waiting for the appropriate moment to stop the supply of uranium to Europe. Earlier it was reported that Ukraine can supply dozens of electricity gigawatts to Europe after the release of the territory from Russian troops.