The United States has enough uranium to power the country for 100 years but lacks the nuclear fuel enrichment capacity to become self-reliant. As a result, the nation is dangerously reliant on Russian nuclear energy supply chains to keep the lights on. This is problematic on several levels. Not only does it undercut and water down the West’s energy sanctions on Russia to condemn the ongoing war in Ukraine, it also severely compromises the United States’ energy security.
While sanctions from the United States, the European Union, and their political allies have cost the Kremlin tens of billions of dollars in lost revenues, their ongoing reliance on Russian nuclear energy supply chains represents a critical weak spot in the offensive. And that weak spot may not be patched up all that quickly, as Rosatom's services will be extremely difficult to replace. Other suppliers are extremely limited and have much smaller enrichment capacities.