Greenpeace cries scandal as France continues to import Russian uranium
The non-governmental environment protection organisation Greenpeace has described as "scandalous" the arrival on Monday of a cargo of enriched uranium from Russia to France, the seventh such delivery since the start of Moscow's war in Ukraine.
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A cargo ship unloaded cylinders of uranium from Russia at the French port of Dunkirk on Monday morning.
Greenpeace said the delivery confirmed France's dependence on the Russian nuclear industry, which is not covered by sanctions imposed on the Kremlin.
"This is a new illustration that the French nuclear industry continues to trade uranium with Rosatom, the Russian state nuclear giant," said Greenpeace campaigner Pauline Boyer.
"The continuation of this nuclear trade with Russia in times of war is scandalous," she told the French AFP news agency.
Greenpeace said Monday's consignment was the seventh delivery of uranium from Russia to France since the start of the war in Ukraine.
The Russian cargo ship Baltiyskiy 202 arrived from St Petersburg and unloaded "25 cylinders containing Russian enriched uranium", Greenpeace said.
France denies 'dependence' on Russia
In a report earlier this month, Greenpeace criticised France's "dependence" on Russian nuclear power, which is not targeted by international sanctions.
The NGO said France had received "a third of the enriched uranium needed to operate French nuclear power plants for one year" from Russia.
The French government denied this, saying France "does not depend in any way on Russia for the operation of its nuclear power plants" and "has been able to diversify its sources of supply".
"If the government wants to be consistent with its support for the Ukrainian people, it should cut all contracts with Rosatom," Greenpeace campaigner Boyer said.
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