Top House GOP Leaders Call for ‘Stronger Action’ Over Russia Helping China ‘Fuel Its Strategic Nuclear Breakout’

Top House Republican national security officers have asked the United States for help “stronger action” China and Russia help each other “fuel its strategic nuclear blackout.”

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R.Texas), House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul were all concerned by what they had said. “concerning reports that Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom, is helping the People’s Republic of China (PRC) acquire enough weapons-grade plutonium to fuel its strategic nuclear breakout.”

According to the letter Rosatom has a Beijing office from 2016, it says.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken; Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin; Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen; Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm; Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines were all cc’d to the letter. The letter comes as China reportedly is considering whether to send lethal support to Russia for its war against Ukraine.

Rogers, McCaul, and Turner all noted that “Rosatom helps fuel [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war efforts in Ukraine.” They warned that such assistance was not needed. “a direct threat to U.S. security and more evidence that Russia and China are working in tandem against the United States.”

They stated that “Russia and the PRC’s nuclear cooperation goes much farther than just civilian projects.” Take, for example: “Rosatom now appears to being supplying equipment and highly enriched uranium (HEU)” China’s “CFR-600 sodium-cooled fast breeder nuclear reactors, which will produce plutonium, fissile material critical to the PRC’s nuclear breakout.”

The House chairmen observed that “Russian deliveries of HEU to the PRC are slated to begin this year.”

The Defense Department warns Congress in a report dated 2022 that “the PRC is also supporting this expansion by increasing its capacity to produce and separate plutonium by constructing fast breeder reactors and reprocessing facilities.” According to the report, CFR-600 reactors will allow for high-powered manufacturing. “enough plutonium for dozens of nuclear warheads annually.”

“Make no mistake, the PRC and Russia’s actions constitute an acceleration of their ongoing arms race,” Rogers, McCaul, Turner.

According to The Washington Post they also warned Rosatom. “‘has been working to supply the Russian arms industry with components, technology, and raw materials for missile(s)’ enabling the Russian military to commit crimes against humanity by murdering Ukrainian civilians.”

The Biden administration announced that it sanctioned three Rosatom subsidiaries on February 24, which was the one-year anniversary Russia’s invasion in Ukraine.

“These actions do not begin to scratch the surface as to what needs to be done, however. Stronger action is required and it needs a whole-of-government approach,” The three Republican leaders wrote this. “We ask that you use all the tools at your disposal, such as the full application of sanctions, export controls, and diplomacy, to stop Putin from using Rosatom to challenge U.S. interests across the globe.”

As of March 9, the Biden administration was considering sanctioning Rosatom.

Rogers, McCauls and Turner asked for a briefing by April 17 regarding how the administration will respond to Rosatom.

The Epoch Times reached the White House National Security Council to request comment.