Republicans urge White House to crack down on Russia-China nuclear co-operation

Republican lawmakers urge White House to crack down on Russia's Rosatom for supplying highly enriched uranium to China's fast-breeder reactors, which could help China increase its nuclear warhead stockpile, posing a direct threat to US national security.

March 18, 2023 . 7:41 AM

1 min read

Republican lawmakers urge the White House to crack down on nuclear co-operation between Russia and China, citing concerns that Rosatom is supplying highly enriched uranium to China for fast-breeder reactors.
The reactors could be used to produce plutonium for China's nuclear warheads, which poses a direct threat to US national security.
The Biden administration recently sanctioned three Rosatom subsidiaries for their role in Moscow's effort to exert political and economic pressure on its global customers.
The lawmakers are calling for additional sanctions and export controls to curtail Rosatom's activities.
US military officials have repeatedly warned about China's nuclear weapons ambitions, saying it has developed 400 nuclear warheads and is on track to expand its arsenal to 1,500 weapons by the middle of the next decade.