Putin's Nuclear Project Inside NATO Country Dealt a Blow

Sanctions resulting from Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine are hampering the construction of a Moscow-funded nuclear energy plant in NATO member Turkey, the head of Russia's atomic energy agency said.

Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev made the comments on state television about the joint Russian-Turkish investment project, the Akkuyu nuclear power plant in Turkey's Mersin Province, which was first agreed between the countries in 2010.

Construction of the first reactor started in April 2018 and work on its second unit in June 2020. The first unit was expected to become operational in 2023, but is has been delayed by difficulties getting equipment from third countries due to sanctions.

After being asked about the impact of sanctions on the project on the Russia 1 channel program, Moscow, Kremlin, Putin, Likhachev told Kremlin-friendly journalist Pavel Zarubin that "Americans" were responsible for "seizing" the money earmarked for the $25 billion project, according to the TASS news agency.

"The system of mutual settlements is under attack," he said, as he blamed "Americans who are going between our legal entities, between our banks."

Likhachev said that although American sanctions are interfering with the project, construction on the site hasn't stopped. "The dogs are barking, the caravan is moving on," he said, using a Russian expression that described how despite setbacks, the project would continue undeterred.

Rosatom is not subject to Western sanctions, although some of its subsidiaries are. These include JSC Atomstroy, which develops nuclear installation technologies and the Vladimir Production Association Tochmash, which makes centrifuges for uranium enrichment.

The U.S. Department of State said on April 12, 2023 that these sanctions aimed "to constrain Rosatom," given that it uses energy exports "to exert political and economic pressure on its customers globally."

The difficulties in the nuclear project come at a crucial time for relations between Ankara and Russia. Turkey has been an important trading partner for Russia since sanctions were imposed because of Putin's full-scale invasion cut off Moscow from a substantial part of the global financial system.

There has been an increase in exports between the countries including military-linked goods, while Ankara has also pledged not to help Moscow circumvent Western export controls.

Jeff Flake, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, told Reuters last month that Washington was working with Ankara "to try to lessen their dependency" on Russia "in whatever ways we can."

In comments reported by Reuters on July 2, Turkish energy official Yusuf Ceylan said "we are negotiating with the USA for both large-scale power plants and small modular reactors."

Newsweek has contacted Rosatom and the Turkish foreign ministry for comment.