The European Union has already imposed 10 packages of sanctions since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But Russia’s nuclear industry is still not under sanctions. In February, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for an embargo on imports of uranium from Russia. But this is not enough to stop the aggressor country.
Rosatom state corporation is directly related to the aggression in Ukraine. Since the spring of 2022, this Russian company has de facto controlled Europe’s largest Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and has kept the arsenal of Russian nuclear missiles, which Moscow constantly threatens the world, in combat readiness. Rosatom also imports components for Russian tanks and aircraft, taking advantage of the fact that no restrictions have been imposed against it. In the European Union, a quarter of electricity is produced by nuclear power plants. Eighteen out of 103 power units depend on Russian nuclear fuel. That is why the EU should support the initiative of Poland, the Baltic States and include the Russian nuclear energy sector in the 11th EU package of sanctions in order to get rid of Russian oppression.
If Western countries want to stop Russia’s aggression, they must abandon Russian nuclear energy and not allow it to expand its influence on European energy. New packages of sanctions to weaken the Russian economy and military assistance to Ukraine are the only possible solution to restore peace in Europe.