Nuclear Dilemma: France and Belgium Block Uranium Ban in EU’s 20th Sanction Package

As the European Union prepares its 20th round of sanctions against Moscow in early January 2026, a familiar internal rift has resurfaced. While the proposed package aims to tighten the noose on Russia’s shadow banking and energy bypasses, the inclusion of nuclear fuel has hit a diplomatic wall. According to reports from Die Welt, France and Belgium are leading the opposition against a total ban on Russian uranium.

The resistance is driven by heavy industrial dependency: France’s massive nuclear fleet relies on Russian-enriched uranium and Rosatom's specialized services for recycling spent fuel. Similarly, Belgium’s energy security remains tied to existing long-term supply contracts. Despite pressure from the Baltic states and Poland to "decouple" from Rosatom, Paris and Brussels argue that an immediate ban would trigger a massive energy price spike and jeopardize the maintenance of Western-designed reactors across the continent. For now, it appears the EU's 20th package will move forward without the "nuclear option," focusing instead on closing loopholes in the oil price cap.