Referring to the 'red line', an EU country opposes sanctions on Russian nuclear fuel

On November 18, Slovakia's Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs Juraj Blanar announced that the country will not support sanctions against Russian fuel used for nuclear power plants.

Slovakia opposes sanctions on Russian nuclear fuel. (Source: TASS)

Referring to the 12th package of sanctions imposed by the European Union (EU) against Moscow, Minister Blanar said: “The red line for us is that there should be no nuclear fuel in there... our nuclear power plants have not yet been able to switch to alternative fuels.”

Slovakia's nuclear power plants, which provide about 60 percent of its energy, are completely dependent on fuel from Russia. The Eastern European country is trying to find alternative fuel sources from Western partners, including the United States and France.

Last August, the CEO of Slovakian Electricity Company, Branislav Strycek, announced that the first non-Russian fuel shipments would arrive in Slovakia “within a year.”

Slovakia has two operating nuclear power plants: Mochovce, located 130 km east of Bratislava, and Bohunice, located near the village of Jaslovske Bohunice in the west of the country. Both were built with the help of the Soviet Union and later Russia.

Ambassadors from the 27 EU member states are discussing the 12th package of sanctions against Moscow. Earlier, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 14 Russian companies and three ships.

According to the ministry, VNIIR Transstroy, VNIIR Promelektro, VNIIR Gidroelektroavtomatika, as well as the Liberian-registered shipping company Progress, have been added to the sanctions list.

Washington's measures also affect the Russian tankers Kazan, Ligovsky Prospekt and NS Century.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/nhac-toi-ranh-gioi-do-mot-quoc-gia-eu-phan-doi-trung-phat-nhien-lieu-hat-nhan-cua-nga-250564.html