Putin: US buys Russia's enriched uranium, urges other nations to stop purchasing Russian energy.

Putin: US buys Russia's enriched uranium, urges other nations to stop purchasing Russian energy.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged other nations to cease purchasing Russian energy exports, including nuclear fuel, following revelations that the United States has continued to buy enriched uranium from Russia despite a formal ban. The US Department of Energy data shows that Russia supplied 20% of the enriched uranium used in American commercial nuclear reactors in 2024, a decrease from 27% in 2023 but still a significant reliance . The ban on Russian reactor fuel imports, signed into law by President Joe Biden in May 2024, officially took effect in August. However, the Department of Energy has been granted the authority to issue waivers until 2028 if no alternative sources are available or if imports are deemed necessary for national interest. Companies such as Constellation Energy Corp. and Centrus Energy Corp. have received these waivers . The US is taking steps to reduce its reliance on Russian nuclear fuel. Congress has allocated billions of dollars to the Department of Energy to restore America’s nearly dormant capacity to produce enriched uranium domestically. The goal is to decrease US dependence on Russian nuclear fuel in the coming years . Putin's call to other nations to stop purchasing Russian energy exports comes amidst growing international pressure to reduce reliance on Russian energy. The Trump administration has been pushing European and other global partners to cut ties with Russian energy exports, including oil and natural gas. The revelation that the US is still importing enriched uranium from Russia highlights the complex nature of global energy dependencies and the challenges in decoupling from Russian energy supplies .