Trump's Nuclear Plan Faces Fuel Crisis Amid Ukraine War, Russian Import Ban

• US President Donald Trump's nuclear expansion push is threatened by a potential fuel supply crunch due to the Ukraine war and a ban on Russian imports.
• Centrus Energy CEO Amir Vexler warned of rising demand pressures and a $2.3 billion sales backlog, accelerating efforts to expand enrichment capacity at its Ohio facility.
• A supply-demand gap already exists for operating reactors, and plans for new US reactors will deepen long-term challenges, with the market likely strained for the next decade.
• Prices for enrichment services have surged 167% since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, reaching a record $173 per separative work unit.
• The US relies heavily on Russia for enriched uranium, with a ban on Russian imports effective January 1, 2028, while domestic capacity is significantly lower than demand.