The United States is discussing the possibility of banning the import of uranium from the Russian Federation – media

The White House is considering the possibility of banning Russian imports of enriched uranium through administrative procedures until Congress passes a corresponding law. Bloomberg reported this on Monday, April 29, citing sources.

It is noted that representatives of the White House National Security Council, the Department of Energy and other bodies have conducted relevant negotiations.

So far, no decision has been made, said those who spoke to journalists, because the administration and the nuclear industry still prefer that the ban be included at the legislative level, since it is more difficult to repeal the law than the actions of the executive branch. .

Russia supplies about a quarter of the enriched uranium used in the United States, according to the US Department of Energy. These sales bring the Russian Federation about $1 billion a year.

The White House believes that reliance on Russian uranium resources “creates a risk for the US economy.” At the same time, the replacement of Russian uranium can increase the cost of this fuel by 20%.

Lawmakers in the House passed a bill that would ban imports of Russian enriched uranium until 2028, in December 2023.

However, the vote in the Senate was blocked by Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz.

When Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm was asked about the issue last month, she said executive action was “possible,” but congressional action would be better.

“We are concerned about the long-term nature of this,” he said.

Let’s remember that in March of this year, Granholm called on Congress to finally pass the ban. According to him, this will allow the savings to be used to support the development of American fuel for nuclear reactors.

It was previously reported that the United States was preparing sanctions against Chinese banks for helping Russia.

Wars for resources: how the Russian Federation “squeezes” uranium mines