UK to supply nuclear fuel to Ukraine, impose new Russian sanctions

The United Kingdom is set to provide Ukraine with enriched uranium to sustain its nuclear power stations for the next two years, alongside implementing fresh sanctions against Russia. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the measures ahead of a G7 summit session, framing the move as a crucial step to support Ukraine and counter Russian aggression.

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choking off the revenues that fuel Putin's war and powering Ukraine through the winters ahead

Starmer's office stated that the energy deal would "power Ukraine for the next two years." This announcement comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France. Allies are seeking ways to shift the momentum in the ongoing conflict, which has lasted over four years. The timing of Zelensky's attendance follows a recent Russian missile barrage that caused casualties across Ukraine and damaged a significant Orthodox monastery in the capital.

Denouncing Russia's actions as "barbaric strikes," Starmer emphasized the UK's commitment to "choking off the revenues that fuel Putin's war and powering Ukraine through the winters ahead." The Prime Minister, facing domestic pressure after his defense minister's resignation over military spending, plans to urge G7 leaders to "collectively go further to ensure Ukraine secures the just and lasting peace it deserves."

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the G7 should collectively go further to ensure Ukraine secures the just and lasting peace it deserves

Approximately £210 million ($243 million) in export finance will facilitate the supply of enriched uranium from UK-based Urenco to Ukraine's nuclear power producer, Energoatom. The new sanctions are designed to "choke Russia's war effort across multiple fronts" by targeting illicit shadow fleet operations and financial networks used to circumvent existing restrictions, according to Starmer's office.

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We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes and this announcement reinforces that