MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th April, 2023) Berlin has called on the European Union to impose sanctions on Russia's nuclear industry, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Saturday.
"The Federal government has called on the European Commission to include the civilian nuclear sector (in the sanctions). This should be part of the next sanctions package," Habeck told German news agency dpa.
He added that nuclear technology was an "extremely sensitive area" in which Russia could no longer be considered a reliable partner.
Germany is set to disconnect its last three nuclear power plants (NPPs) � Isar II, Neckarwestheim II, and Emsland � from the grid on April 15. Berlin had originally planned to shut down all of its NPPs by the end of 2022, but decided last fall to keep the three in operation due to the country's energy crisis. On January 1, 2022, Germany had already shut down three other plants.
In February, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in an interview with RIA Novosti that Budapest would never agree to impose sanctions against Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom because it would threaten Hungary's energy security.
After the start of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the West, including the EU, rolled out a massive sanctions campaign against Moscow. To date, the bloc has already adopted 10 sanctions packages.
