U.S. mulls sanctions on Russian atomic energy company Rosatom – U.S. official

By Steve Holland and Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States was weighing sanctions on Russian nuclear power supplier Rosatom, a senior Biden administration official said on Wednesday, adding a final decision has not been made.

The White House is consulting with the nuclear power industry about the potential impact of imposing sanctions on Russia’s state-owned atomic energy company, which is a major supplier of fuel and technology to power plants around the world, the official said, adding all options were on the table.

It is unclear what any potential sanctions on Rosatom would mean for U.S. nuclear plants and importers of fuel. The development was reported first by Bloomberg

Russia’s uranium production is controlled by Rosatom, which was formed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2007. The company is an important source of revenue for Moscow.

A source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday that U.S. President Joe Biden’s ban on American imports of Russian oil and other energy products does not include a ban on imports of uranium for nuclear power plants.

Biden on Tuesday imposed the immediate ban on Russian oil and other energy imports in retaliation for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The ban will drive up U.S. energy prices, but Biden said it was necessary to punish Putin for the invasion. Moscow describes its actions as a “special operation” to disarm Ukraine and unseat leaders it calls neo-Nazis.

The United States on Wednesday condemned the bombing of a children’s hospital in Ukraine, where officials said a Russian air strike buried patients under rubble despite a ceasefire agreement to allow people out of the besieged city of Mariupol.