... Background of Russia's Decision Historically, Russia has been a significant supplier of enriched uranium to the global market, including the United States, providing about 12% of the uranium needs of American nuclear power plants. The Russian corporation Rosatom and its subsidiaries play a key role in the global supply chain of nuclear fuel, which underlines the strategic importance of this resource. However, in May 2024, the United States signed a law banning the import of low-enriched uranium from Russia ...

... Russia does not mine lithium raw materials; the country imports raw materials for "first-stage processing," such as lithium hydroxide (by the KhMZ and Halmek Trading House) and metallic lithium (by the nuclear fuel company TVEL, a subsidiary of Rosatom). Russia also lacks "second-stage" production—elements for batteries such as anodes, cathodes, and electrolytes. Ongoing and planned "third-stage" facilities include the mass production of battery cells, launched by the ...

... by 2025. Russian coal exports to China exceeded 100 million tons in 2023, compared to 67 million tons in 2022 and 60 million tons in 2021. Nuclear Energy Collaboration Russian companies are also involved in China's nuclear energy development. Rosatom is constructing the third and fourth power units of the Xudapu Nuclear Power Plant, each with a capacity of 1.2 GW, using Generation III+ VVER-1200 reactors. The plant is located on the shores of the Liaodong Bay in the Yellow Sea, in Northeast ...

... plants) from Russia worth $624 million — almost the same amount as before the war (a decrease of only 3% compared to 2021). This indicates the continued dependence of American nuclear energy on Russian raw materials. The Russian state corporation Rosatom and its subsidiaries traditionally met a significant portion of the U.S. needs for enriched uranium. Although Washington announced in 2024 its intention to completely halt imports of Russian nuclear fuel, delays have practically been implemented: ...