Russia is the world’s largest producer of enriched uranium, presenting a problem for U.S. supply chains as Western sanctions against Russia continue to escalate in response to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. In addition to uranium’s use in nuclear weapons, nuclear power provides around 20% of domestic American energy.

Straight Arrow News contributor Peter Zeihan explains how the United States got into this situation and what needs to be done in order to guarantee a continuous supply of uranium and nuclear power.

The following is an excerpt from Peter’s May 7 “Zeihan on Geopolitics” newsletter:

We’re finally seeing signs of life in Congress with the recent progress made on the establishment of a domestic uranium supply chain. This move aims to cut dependence on the Russians — who dominate global uranium processing.

This will be easier said than done though. Much of the nuclear infrastructure in the U.S. is outdated and will need to be modernized in order to ensure a steady fuel supply. We’ll likely have to call in some favors from others who are already in the process of developing their own domestic supply system, like Canada and Australia.

This new development coming out of Congress is a step in the right direction and begins to address two major concerns facing the U.S.: energy and national security.