nuclear-news

The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry Fukushima Chernobyl Mayak Three Mile Island Atomic Testing Radiation Isotope

Fears Putin will use ‘tactical nuclear weapons

By PATRICK HARRINGTON, UK NEWS REPORTER, 27 August 2026, https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16082617/Fears-Putin-tactical-nuclear-weapons-Ukraine-peace-talks.html

Fears that Putin will deploy ‘tactical nuclear weapons‘ against Ukraine are growing as Russia becomes increasingly frustrated and diplomatic hopes crumble.

Voices in Moscow calling for nuclear warheads are becoming louder, and the President is surveying his options for escalation, according to sources.

Ukraine and Russia have ramped up attacks against each other in recent months, with Kyiv landing significant strikes deep inside Russian territory against its oil infrastructure.

Meanwhile, negotiations have all but collapsed, with little hope on either side of a peace deal being found.

The Kremlin is adamant it will not end the war under pressure from sanctions or Ukrainian attacks on its refineries.

It is also increasingly indignant at Nato allies supplying Ukraine with weapons and intelligence – leading to threats against the UK that Prime Minister Andy Burnham this week branded ‘outrageous’.

Putin’s conclusion is that he need to intensify his attacks on Ukraine, three Kremlin sources told Bloomberg.

At the weekend, he told a reporter that Ukraine had ‘opened this Pandora’s box’, and warned Kyiv: ‘Be ready to get a blowback on your most sensitive sectors of the economy.’ 

For now, it is considering how it can ramp up its conventional ballistic assaults, including missile attacks on the centre of the capital, Kyiv.

But a growing number of Russian officials have concluded that Putin could eventually abandon the rules of modern warfare and hit the nuclear button, the sources said.

Tactical nuclear weapons, which are less powerful and have a shorter range, would be more likely than strategic missiles.

They would be used to gain the upper hand in a specific battlefield, rather than to decimate entire cities, like the bombs dropped by America on Japan in 1945.

Throughout the conflict, he has repeatedly flaunted the threat of nukes against Ukraine and its Western allies – even publishing maps showing strikes zones.

And if he made the call, there would be nobody to stand in his way.

Fiona Hill, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who served as a national security advisor to three US presidents including Trump in his first term, said: ‘For Putin there is no sign of collective will anywhere to resist him and so many ways in which he can grind people down.

‘This is why a concerted collective and consistent effort to resist his actions, and to engage in diplomacy, is essential. 

‘He has a single-minded focus and we are all over the place.

It was reported this week that the Putin might be abouyt to test a nuclear-powered cruise missile – dubbed the Flying Chernobyl – that can fly for days, according to analysts.

An influx of aircraft and shipping has converged in the Arctic in a telltale sign that a new experimental firing is expected of a weapon powered by its own atomic reactor, say analysts.

The ‘invincible’ Burevestnik missile – with a nickname inspired by the nuclear catastrophe that could be inflicted, much like the Chernobyl power plant explosion in 1986 – carries a nuclear warhead with an ‘unlimited range’ and is designed to fly for days at a time before striking the West, according to the Russians. 

While the chance of nuclear weapons still looks remote, the only way to rule them out completely would be a swift diplomatic end to the war – something that now seems out of reach.

The US is preoccupied with the conflict in Iran, and Putin has abandoned its hope of an understanding between Donald Trump and himself that was fostered during at their summit in Alaska last August.

Russia has indicate there may be a path to peace if Ukraine hands over its ‘fortress belt’ of cities in the Donbas that have held firm since the start of armed hostilities in 2014 – but Kyiv has made clear that is not on the table.

A recent indication of the US’s feeling toward Russia came from Secretary of State Marco Rubio in June, when he said: ‘If there had been an agreement, we would have had an end to the war.’

CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a rare visit to Moscow on Tuesday for a diplomatic meeting, though it’s unclear what the focus was. 

August 31, 2026 Posted by | Russia, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Germany in talks to help fund Trident

Berlin could bolster Britain’s nuclear programme under plans to end Europe’s reliance on America for defence

Joe Barnes Diplomatic Editor. James Rothwell Berlin Correspondent. James Crisp Europe Editor,  26 August 2026

Germany is in talks to invest in Britain’s nuclear deterrent, The
Telegraph understands. Berlin is considering offering financial support for
Trident as it spearheads efforts to reinforce Europe’s nuclear umbrella.
One well-placed source said Germany wanted to better integrate itself into
the existing British and French nuclear deterrents rather than pursue its
own bomb because of the nation’s wartime guilt.

“We have a very strong
interest that the existing nuclear powers in Europe extend their
capabilities,” the source said. The discussions between Paris, Berlin and
London have accelerated in recent months amid fears the Trump
administration will withdraw its military from Europe.

Telegraph 26th Aug 2026, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/26/germany-talks-help-fund-britains-trident-nuclear-deterrent/

August 31, 2026 Posted by | Germany, UK, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Poland rules out hosting nuclear weapons.

August 27, 2026 , By Victor Jack, https://www.politico.eu/article/poland-rules-out-hosting-nuclear-weapons-despite-russian-threat/

BRUSSELS — Poland “does not want” allied nuclear weapons stationed on its territory, the country’s Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski said Thursday, despite growing worries of a Russian incursion into NATO territory.

“I would like to say very clearly and openly: Poland does not want to have nuclear warheads on its territory,” he told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels. “We want to participate in NATO nuclear deterrence, [which] does not mean to have a nuclear warhead on our territory.”

Zalewski’s statement is Warsaw’s most categorical statement on the topic. While it has previously expressed skepticism toward hosting nuclear weapons, Poland has also said it was in early-stage talks with the U.S. around a potential expansion of Washington’s nuclear deterrent in Europe, and had in parallel joined a French initiative aimed at extending Paris’ own deterrent in Europe.

Separately, Polish President Karol Nawrocki has left the door open to Warsaw eventually building its own nuclear weapons program.

Western officials have warned Russia could attack NATO territory by the end of the decade, while recent U.S. intelligence suggests an attack could come even sooner.

August 31, 2026 Posted by | EUROPE, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Newcleo-Led Consortium Chosen For French Project On Floating Nuclear Power Plants

By David Dalton, 27 August 2026, https://www.nucnet.org/news/newcleo-led-consortium-chosen-for-french-project-on-floating-nuclear-power-plants-8-4-2026

Maritime sector a ‘largely unexplored opportunity’ for reactor industry

A consortium led by France-based advanced reactor and nuclear fuel company Newcleo has been selected to take part in a project supporting the decarbonisation of the French maritime sector.

The project, managed by France-based investment bank Bpifrance and named “n-Floating”, aims to demonstrate the relevance and technical feasibility of an innovative floating nuclear power solution, consisting of a non-self-propelled floating unit housing multiple Newcleo-developed LFR-AS-200 reactors, each offering an electrical output of 200 MW.

The consortium brings together Newcleo, Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, a leading classification society, and ABMI Groupe, a French engineering company with expertise both in maritime and nuclear sectors.

The project has been awarded almost €1m ($1.1m) in funding under the programme.

Work has already begun and is expected to run for approximately 18 months.

“Maritime deployment of advanced reactors opens a broader and still largely unexplored market for nuclear energy” said Newcleo chief executive officer Stefano Buono.

“Floating nuclear offers an opportunity to bring reliable, low-carbon power to applications at sea and in coastal locations.”

Newcleo said the project aims to develop a standardised, deployable and competitive solution for low-carbon energy generation at sea and in coastal locations.

The initial phase of the n-Floating project will focus on conceptual studies for a nuclear barge, assessing its potential to deliver reliable, low-carbon and competitive energy across a range of applications. These include supplying isolated regions, ports and associated industrial hubs, and coastal areas, as well as supporting energy-intensive applications such as desalination and the production of low-carbon fuels.

The project will also define the subsequent development programme and roadmap towards potential industrial deployment by 2036, with the ambition to design and build the solution in France.

August 31, 2026 Posted by | France, Small Modular Nuclear Reactors | Leave a comment

Claim about Scottish support for nuclear power doesn’t add up

Ni Holmes, St Andrews, 27 Aug 26

I WAS not surprised to find, when I got to the foot of a letter challenging Paul Kavanagh’s assertion that “Scotland does not need nuclear energy and most in Scotland don’t want it” as being “wrong on both counts” (Aug 26), that it was written by Lincoln Hill, the Nuclear Industry Association’s director of policy and external affairs.

Mr Hill appears not to be too good at maths. He cites a YouGov poll showing that fewer than a third of people in Scotland consider nuclear power as the most important energy source and that a similar number identified it as their preferred source of energy. To my understanding, the remaining two-thirds of Scots who do not support nuclear power are indeed most of the people in Scotland.

Mr Hill goes on to assert that Scotland needs “more than one source of electricity”. This suggests that lack of basic counting skills is the foundation of his weakness in maths. We already have multiple sources of electricity: we have had hydro-electric power for decades, we have wave generators, we have onshore and offshore wind turbines, and new technology is making solar power viable even in our climate. By my count those five already add up to the “more than one” that Mr Hill claims we need. We will still have more than one source after the last nuclear power station in our country is finally decommissioned.

It seems to me that it is Mr Hill that is wrong and Mr Kavanagh was entirely correct on both counts. We neither need nor want nuclear power in Scotland, the Nuclear Industry Association, or for that matter the Westminster Labour Party’s small-scale reactors and Starmer’s “GB Energy”. What we do need is our independence so that we can make our own choices in the interest of Scotland and the all of its people, rather than English energy requirements or the wealthy seek to profit from energy production.

August 31, 2026 Posted by | spinbuster, UK | Leave a comment

Europe’s Heatwaves Are Putting Nuclear Power Under Pressure

By Haley Zaremba – Aug 26, 2026, https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Europes-Heatwaves-Are-Putting-Nuclear-Power-Under-Pressure.html

  • Extreme heat and drought are cutting nuclear and hydropower output just as cooling demand increases electricity consumption.
  • Hungary’s Paks plant fell to barely 10% of capacity, while heat and environmental constraints have repeatedly curtailed French nuclear generation.
  • Europe will need more storage, flexible demand, resilient grids and climate-adapted power plants to cope with hotter summers.

Europe’s energy sector is facing a stress test unlike any it has ever seen before. Not only are the markets being battered by the latest in a long succession of geopolitical supply chain snags thanks to the war in Iran, but the continent is also facing blistering heat waves that are pushing the grid to its absolute limit and increasing the risk of rolling blackouts when temperatures are dangerously high. As the fastest warming continent in the world, Europe needs to adjust to extreme heat as the new normal, and it needs to adapt its power supply accordingly.

“We have to plan our power system so that this might be our new reality,” Zsuzsanna Pató, power system lead for Europe at the non-profit Regulatory Assistance Project, recently told Bloomberg. “We don’t usually have such hot spells, but we just have to get used to it.”


The nuclear industry is facing the hardest test of all, with rising temperatures forcing reactors offline just when their output is most needed. Many nuclear power plants rely on rivers for their cooling systems, and when rivers are too hot or the waters are too low, operators are forced to reduce or shut down output altogether. Earlier this month, Hungary had to reduce output at the Paks nuclear power plant to just over 10 percent and just barely avoided total shutdown, which would have effectively cut off 40 percent of the country’s electricity generation overnight. Even though the Paks plant was never fully taken offline, the sharp reduction in production led to an enormous swing in electricity prices across the region, reaching a blistering €500 a megawatt-hour. And the hottest weeks of the summer could still be yet to come.

In July, France had to reduce output and shut down nuclear reactors at a record pace without sufficient and safe water supplies to cool its reactors as the country recorded its hottest day ever on record. While this might seem to suggest that nuclear power development is incompatible with rising temperatures without overhauling the way we cool them, some experts contend that these reductions are a symptom of policy rather than technological limitations. 

“What the heatwave revealed was not a failure of nuclear technology, but rather a narrow, well-understood constraint in how some riverside plants are allowed to operate during extreme heat,” The Conversation recently reported. Furthermore, despite curbing output at reactors across the country, France still had “sufficient generation capacity to meet electricity demand,” according to grid operator RTE.

However, the reduction did have critical impacts on consumers within and outside of France. “It is true that prices rose, exports to neighbouring countries fell, and the grid relied more heavily on gas as well as oil-fired reserve generation,” The Conversation conceded. “Yet these were temporary strains, and at no point was France’s supply in any kind of serious jeopardy.”

However, price spikes and energy poverty are a major concern for consumers, who can expect heat waves to keep getting hotter and more frequent. And turning down the air conditioning is not an option when the mercury is this high. A study from The Lancet found that nearly half a million people in the world died of heat every year between 2000 and 2019, most of whom were elderly. Under these conditions, air conditioning is not a luxury but a life-saving necessity, preventing an estimated 190,000 deaths each year.

Utilities therefore need to adapt their models to account for the changing climate as well as for continued geopolitical volatility, both of which are wreaking havoc on energy markets and squeezing consumers. “Utilities can adapt by planning for summer peaks, making cooling demand more flexible, reinforcing grids for high temperatures, deploying batteries and demand response, and climate-proofing power plants’ cooling systems,” Simone Tagliapietra, senior fellow at economic and policy think tank Bruegel, recently told MIT Technology Review.

August 30, 2026 Posted by | climate change, EUROPE | Leave a comment

Jellyfish close down France’s largest nuclear reactor

August 28 2026 , https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9339000/jellyfish-close-down-frances-largest-nuclear-reactor/

Reactor units at France’s largest nuclear power station in Gravelines have once again been shut down due to an influx of jellyfish.

A spokeswoman for the French operator EDF said on Thursday more than 200 metric tonnes of jellyfish had appeared since last night.

Two of the six reactor units have been completely shut down as a precautionary measure to “ensure that this situation has no impact whatsoever on the safety of (EDF’s) facilities.”

EDF said the jellyfish are appearing in the area of the filter systems at the seawater pumping station.

Consequently, no reactor units are currently in full operation, as two other units are being run at reduced power, and the remaining two have also been shut down, partly due to a maintenance inspection.

The jellyfish disrupted operations in the middle of the month and in August last year.

The Gravelines nuclear power station has set up monitoring systems to detect and manage large-scale jellyfish gatherings at an early stage, EDF added.

The EDF spokeswoman explained that support for this had been provided, among others, by the organisation France Pêche Durable (France Sustainable Fishing).

Seven boats are operating round the clock near the nuclear power station to catch the jellyfish and then release them further out to sea.

The spokeswoman stated that it was not yet possible to comment on the causes of the phenomenon.

She added that the plant was working with various partners to gain a better understanding of it.

The spokeswoman said the incident posed no risk to the electricity grid.

Gravelines is one of just under 20 nuclear power stations in France.

It is situated on the northern French coast, roughly halfway between Calais and Dunkirk.

August 30, 2026 Posted by | environment, France | Leave a comment

UK seeks to tighten security of supply chains after Iran-linked cyber attacks

 The UK government is seeking to change the law so that it can block
companies from buying products from high-risk suppliers, in a move that
comes shortly after news that a hacking group had shut down a small energy
facility.

Ministers could demand companies in critical sectors such as
energy, healthcare and telecoms take extra security measures such as
implementing a phased removal of certain vendors or be banned from
acquiring technology from them under proposals announced on Monday.

The vulnerability of key UK infrastructure was highlighted by Sunday’s
revelation that hackers thought to be linked to Iran had forced a small gas
plant offline. The National Cyber Security Centre has also warned that
companies must do more to guard against cyber attacks. The government’s
plans were introduced via amendments to the Cyber Security and Resilience
Bill and are subject to parliamentary approval. They will seek to safeguard
the supply chains of companies, which are often used as a “soft
underbelly” by hackers seeking to target larger groups.

 FT 24th Aug 2026,
https://www.ft.com/content/3d46e4cb-4dee-4f49-adc1-0bb0f63d4c49

August 30, 2026 Posted by | safety, UK | Leave a comment

Britain’s Storm Shadow tech transfer to Ukraine will lead to more escalation. We need dialogue!

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, August 25, 2026, https://cnduk.org/britains-storm-shadow-tech-transfer-to-ukraine-will-lead-to-more-escalation-we-need-dialogue/?link_id=1&can_id=0a448bf4278898648e02a8f6dea4650f&source=email-britain-pushes-for-more-escalation-in-ukraine-aukus-webinar-register-for-cnd-agm-policy-conference&email_referrer=email_3374903&email_subject=britain-pushes-for-more-escalation-in-ukraine-aukus-webinar-register-for-cnd-conference

Britain’s decision to join France in transferring classified Storm Shadow blueprints to Ukraine so it can domestically produce the long-range cruise missile will only increase nuclear risks, warns CND.  

Prime Minister Andy Burnham made the announcement about the technology transfer during a visit to Kyiv on Monday.

The Storm Shadow is co-produced with France by the multi-national arms company MBDA and has a range of 155 miles (250km). The air-launched missiles also have bunker-busting warheads and are capable of hitting Russian targets in its territory. In November 2024, the British government, in coordination with the US administration, gave permission for Ukraine to use these weapons to hit targets deep inside Russian territory. This was in spite of Russia’s threat to use its nuclear weapons against such long-range attacks. 

France already agreed to hand over its own blueprints for the SCALP-EG (its French export name) in July, as part of a wider arms deal that included Rafale fighter jets and interceptor missiles.  

On Sunday, Russia’s foreign ministry said it had withdrawn its ambassador to London, Andrei Kelin, accusing Britain of choosing a “path of confrontation.”  This comes after Russia announced that there would be consequences for attacks on civilian infrastrcutrue by British-made long-range drones. Some reports have suggested that this could mean British drone factories could be attacked by “unknown sources.” 

Burnham’s announcement has been interpreted as an attempt by Britain and France to push the US into giving Ukraine its Patriot interceptor technology so it can produce them locally. During July’s NATO summit, Donald Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the US would give a licence to produce Patriots only to backtrack on the promise weeks later saying it “a hard thing to give away.”

The reversal coincided with an escalation in the US’s illegal war on Iran in July. That conflict, ongoing since February, has led to a shortage in stocks of both Patriot and Tomahawk as the US and its Gulf allies use them to counter Iranian ballistic missiles and drones. It’s estimated that only 1,000 Patriot missiles remain in US stocks and current annual production is currently 600. Plans are already in place to set up new production lines in Germany and Poland to help replenish their stocks given to Ukraine, while Zelensky is also calling for a line to be set up in Ukraine. 

CND General Secretary Sophie Bolt said:
“The British government’s strategy of escalation is very dangerous. We have already seen the nuclear risks from such escalation in 2024 when Russia threatened to use its nuclear weapons against long-range missiles. Burnham needs to end this reckless war-mongering and focus on dialogue and de-escalation.” 

August 29, 2026 Posted by | UK, Ukraine, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Romania steps up efforts to restart Cernavoda nuclear reactors

By Iulian Ernst in Bucharest August 24, 2026, https://www.intellinews.com/romania-steps-up-efforts-to-restart-cernavoda-nuclear-reactors-462977/

Romanian authorities are changing their approach to restoring water levels at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, with national waterways management company Apele Romane (Romanian Waters) building a temporary dam on the Danube and state-controlled hydropower group Hidroelectrica releasing additional water from its Olt River reservoirs to support the restart of at least one of the two reactors currently offline, according to G4Media and Radio Romania.

The measures follow several weeks of emergency interventions that included dredging and attempts to sink barges loaded with stone in an effort to raise water levels near the nuclear plant’s intake. Those measures produced insufficient results, leaving Romania dependent on more expensive electricity imports during peak consumption hours.

Under the revised strategy, Apele Romane is constructing a transverse guide dam on the Old Danube arm to redirect water towards the intake channel serving the plant. Emergency dredging is continuing in the Cernavoda area under the coordination of the Lower Danube River Administration and Apele Romane.

Hidroelectrica has meanwhile started releasing additional water from reservoirs on the Olt River. According to Antena 3, the company can release around 50 cubic metres per second for five days, although water reserves in the Olt system have also been reduced following several months of drought.

The Ministry of National Defence has resumed support for the emergency works. Military specialists will carry out topobathymetric and geodetic measurements, while military divers will participate in underwater interventions.

The effectiveness of the measures remains constrained by the exceptionally low flow of the Danube. Water entering Romania’s section of the river is currently around 1,300 cubic metres per second, roughly one-third of the multi-annual average.

According to the forecast for August 22-29, the flow is expected to remain at around this level for the first three days before gradually increasing to approximately 1,550 cubic metres per second. The expected natural increase would therefore provide considerably more water than the temporary releases from the Olt reservoirs.

The engineering works could eventually have a larger effect by improving the flow towards the nuclear plant’s intake, but their impact is unlikely to be sufficient immediately. This leaves the timing of a reactor restart dependent primarily on the availability of adequate cooling water.

Cernavoda’s two reactors, each with an installed capacity of 680 MW, have been taken offline because of insufficient Danube water for cooling. Their prolonged outage has increased Romania’s reliance on electricity imports during a period of high summer consumption. Out of the 7,500 MW consumed by Romania during the peak hours, it imports 1,00-2,500 MW.

August 29, 2026 Posted by | business and costs, climate change, EUROPE | Leave a comment

Is Putin about to test ‘Flying Chernobyl’ nuclear-powered missile that can fly for DAYS?

By WILL STEWART and SOPHIA STANFORD, 25 August 2026,
https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16078037/Putin-test-Flying-Chernobyl.html

Vladimir Putin may be about to test a nuclear-powered cruise missile – dubbed the Flying Chernobyl – that can fly for days, according to analysts.

An influx of aircraft and shipping has converged in the Arctic in a telltale sign that a new experimental firing is expected of a weapon powered by its own atomic reactor, say analysts.

The ‘invincible’ Burevestnik missile – with a nickname inspired by the nuclear catastrophe that could be inflicted, much like the Chernobyl power plant explosion in 1986 – carries a nuclear warhead with an ‘unlimited range’ and is designed to fly for days at a time before striking the West, according to the Russians.

Norwegian defence analyst Thord Are Iversen said the movements followed the pattern seen during previous tests of Putin’s experimental 9M730 Burevestnik cruise missile.

‘It now appears that everything is ready for actual Burevestnik flight testing,’ he told independent Russian outlet The Insider.

In the Arctic, two specialist Il-976 SKIP aircraft used to monitor missile trajectories and collect test data arrived at Rogachyovo airbase on the remote Novaya Zemlya archipelago, reports say.

Satellite imagery also shows an A-50U airborne early-warning aircraft, four An-26 military transports, an An-74 and several helicopters at the base amid a suspected test of Putin’s Flying Chernobyl missile.

Civilian vessels previously involved in missile trials have taken up positions in the Barents and Kara seas around the Pankovo test range.

August 29, 2026 Posted by | Russia, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Construction costs and financing of new nuclear power plants in Switzerland.

Source :
Neu U (2026) Construction costs and financing of new nuclear power plants in Switzerland. Swiss Academies Reports 21 (6)

This report provides a more detailed analysis of the observed development of construction costs for new nuclear power plants and discusses the potential costs of a new plant in Switzerland, as well as the associated uncertainties. Furthermore, it presents current financing models in Europe and the financial risks for the state and the economy associated with such construction.

In addition, current financing models in Europe and
the financial risks associated with construction for the state and the
economy are presented.

[Paul Dorfman says: The report is significant
because, unlike many other cost studies, it derives the risks from real
construction projects and, for the first time, also takes into account the
immense financing costs during the long construction period of a nuclear
power plant. It therefore estimates the expenditures to be 20 to 30 %
higher than estimates that consider only the pure construction costs.
According to the report, these account for around 70 % of the total costs
over the plant’s service life.

The study authors concludes, without billions in federal guarantees, no private investor would be willing to take on the financial risk.]

 Swiss Academy of Sciences 21st Aug 2026, https://scnat.ch/en/uuid/i/5e8fa25a-bfa9-54ac-b33b-4e5f464f8561-Baukosten_und_Finanzierung_von_neuen_Kernkraftwerken_in_der_Schweiz

August 28, 2026 Posted by | business and costs, Switzerland | Leave a comment

Russia signals willingness to consider new Ukraine peace ideas but insists any deal reflect battlefield conditions

[your]NEWS, Fri, 21 Aug 2026 , https://www.sott.net/article/508073-Russia-signals-willingness-to-consider-new-Ukraine-peace-ideas-but-insists-any-deal-reflect-battlefield-conditions

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow remains willing to hear new U.S. proposals for ending the war in Ukraine, while maintaining that any settlement must account for Russia’s stated objectives and the territorial situation created by nearly 4½ years of fighting.

Russia says it remains prepared to consider new proposals for ending the war in Ukraine, but Moscow is continuing to insist that any potential settlement account for what it calls the “realities on the ground.”

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov made the comments in an interview with News.ru published Friday, signaling that Moscow is still open to negotiations with Washington even as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have largely stalled amid the war in Iran.

Ryabkov said the United States has demonstrated both a willingness to engage in “constructive dialog” and an “understanding of Russia’s position.”

He suggested, however, that Moscow believes the larger question is whether the United States can influence Ukraine and its European allies.

“At this stage, it is more important to what extent Washington is able to influence the decisions of the Kyiv regime and its European sponsors, who still dream of a ‘strategic defeat’ of Russia,” Ryabkov said.

Russia and the United States have held negotiations aimed at finding a path toward ending the Ukraine war, but those efforts have lost momentum as international attention has shifted toward the conflict involving Iran.

The Kremlin said Thursday that it had no information about when U.S. presidential envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff might next travel to Moscow.

Kushner and Witkoff have previously played leading roles in U.S. negotiations with Russian officials.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated Washington’s interest in ending the Ukraine conflict last month following a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Manila.

Rubio cautioned at the time that a rapid breakthrough should not be expected and said the United States was attempting to “find a middle ground.”

Ryabkov responded that Moscow remains prepared to consider new ideas from Rubio and to continue discussions with the Trump administration:

“The Russian Federation is ready to listen to any reasonable proposals and ideas that are in line with the goals set by the Russian president and meet the ‘realities on the ground,'”

That formulation reflects a longstanding Russian position that any eventual agreement must take into account territorial changes resulting from the war.

After almost 4½ years of fighting, Russian forces control approximately one-fifth of Ukraine’s internationally recognized territory.

Moscow has repeatedly said it is willing to negotiate but has maintained that talks must acknowledge what Russian officials describe as the “new realities on the ground.”

The territorial question remains one of the central obstacles to reaching a negotiated settlement.

Ukraine and its international supporters have continued to regard the areas seized by Russia as sovereign Ukrainian territory, while Moscow has sought to make its control of occupied regions part of the framework for any eventual peace agreement.

Ryabkov’s remarks indicate that Russia is not rejecting further American diplomatic initiatives but is setting clear parameters for what it would regard as a viable proposal.

His comments also place renewed emphasis on Washington’s ability to persuade Kyiv and European governments to accept compromises that Moscow considers necessary.

The diplomatic opening comes as U.S.-Russian negotiations over Ukraine have slowed considerably from earlier efforts.

Although Rubio has publicly reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to finding a way to end the conflict, he has also acknowledged the substantial differences separating the parties.

Ryabkov’s interview addressed another major area of U.S.-Russian relations as well: nuclear arms control.

The New START nuclear weapons treaty expired in February, leaving the United States and Russia without binding limits on their strategic nuclear arsenals for the first time in more than 50 years.

The treaty had imposed restrictions on deployed strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems held by the world’s two largest nuclear-armed powers.

Despite its expiration, Moscow has said it intends to continue observing the treaty’s limits on missiles and warheads as long as Washington does the same.

Ryabkov indicated that Russia wants to keep diplomatic channels open on nuclear weapons even without a formal treaty currently in force.

“We remain open in the future to find political and diplomatic ways to stabilize this area,” he said.

His comments suggest that Moscow sees room for continued U.S.-Russian engagement on two of the most consequential issues between the countries: ending the Ukraine war and establishing a new framework for managing their strategic nuclear arsenals.

For Ukraine negotiations, however, Russia continues to make clear that it will judge any American proposal against both President Vladimir Putin’s stated objectives and the military situation that now exists after years of war.

August 28, 2026 Posted by | Russia, Ukraine, USA, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Sizewell C nuclear project suffers setback after road building delayed.

Galliford Try replaced as key contractor following disagreement about cost
of work. Construction of two key access roads for Britain’s Sizewell C
nuclear power station has been delayed, and the main contractor replaced,
in a setback at one of the UK’s biggest infrastructure projects.


The delay threatens to prolong disruption around the Suffolk construction site
and comes as Sizewell C seeks to demonstrate that it can avoid the delays
and cost overruns that have plagued its sister project, Hinkley Point C in
Somerset.

The main contractor for the access roads, construction group
Galliford Try, has been replaced after failing to agree with Sizewell C on
the cost of the work. Galliford had been awarded a contract worth between
£150mn and £200mn to build the Sizewell Link Road and Two Village Bypass,
designed to carry construction traffic to the £38bn nuclear plant while
diverting heavy goods vehicles away from nearby villages.

 FT 25th Aug 2026,
https://www.ft.com/content/7a83b577-8d67-4435-9798-1e53d7fad4e9

August 28, 2026 Posted by | business and costs, UK | Leave a comment

British start-up to help US build nuclear-powered cargo ships.

Core Power has raised $200m from Japanese backers and will use its propulsion systems
in a fleet of American nuclear-powered merchant vessels. A British start-up
based on a west London trading estate is to help the American government
build a fleet of nuclear-powered cargo ships.

A public-private partnership
between the US Maritime Administration and Core Power, based in Chiswick
Park, was signed in Washington DC on Monday. The first-of-its-kind
agreement aims to accelerate construction of a US-flagged fleet of rapid
nuclear-powered merchant vessels, and revive a US shipbuilding industry
that has been decimated by cheaper competitors from China in recent years.

 Times 24th Aug 2026, https://www.thetimes.com/business/companies-markets/article/british-start-up-to-help-us-build-nuclear-powered-cargo-ships-8xl7bmnk8

August 28, 2026 Posted by | business and costs, UK | Leave a comment

« Previous Entries     Next Entries »