The European Commission is reportedly preparing to extend sanctions to Russia’s nuclear sector. While Brussels has confirmed a complete phase-out of Russian fossil fuels by 2027, the new focus on nuclear fuel has sparked strong criticism, especially in Hungary.
With import bans on Russian gas and oil already in place, the European Commission is now turning its attention to nuclear energy. According to RBC-Ukraina, citing Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, a spokeswoman for the Commission, a proposal to sanction nuclear fuels is currently in the preparatory phase.
Although the spokeswoman did not specify a concrete timeframe, she emphasized the goal of removing all Russian energy sources from the European market as part of the RePowerEU strategy.
Nuclear energy had originally been removed from the draft legislation in the summer, but the Commission is now planning a separate legislative procedure for this.
Opposition to Brussels’ energy policy is intensifying. It was only on January 26, 2026, that the European Council – against the votes of Hungary and Slovakia – sealed the final end of Russian natural gas imports (LNG until early 2027, pipeline gas until fall 2027).
As reported by Hungary Today, Hungary will take legal action against the REPowerEU energy regulation before the European Court of Justice (ECJ). The reasoning states that the regulation was adopted illegally. According to Hungarian Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Péter Szijjártó, the content of the regulation constitutes a sanction that would have required a unanimous decision in the EU Council. However, in order to circumvent the veto of individual nation states, the measure was declared a “trade regulation,” for which a qualified majority was sufficient. According to the Hungarian government, the restrictions also jeopardize the reduction of ancillary costs.
The situation in the nuclear sector is considered particularly critical. Magyar Nemzet points out that
many Central and Eastern European nuclear power plants are technologically dependent on Russian fuel elements.
Switching to alternative suppliers is not a short-term undertaking, but a complex process. The certification of new fuels often takes years, and the reactors are specifically designed for the geometry and composition of Russian products. In addition to power generation, the supply of radioisotopes for healthcare also depends on nuclear infrastructure.
Experts and affected member states warn against equating nuclear energy with fossil fuels in political terms.
Hasty sanctions without transitional technological solutions would jeopardize not only Hungary’s security of supply, but also that of Europe as a whole, as well as the EU’s climate targets. Political ambitions must be guided by technical realities.
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Via rbc.ua, Featured image: Facebook/MVM Paksi Atomerőmű Zrt.
The post Between Ideology and Security of Supply: Battle for Russian Nuclear Fuel appeared first on Hungary Today.
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