Kiev balks on Russian nuclear deal

KIEV, Ukraine, July 14 (UPI) -- Ukrainian operators at a nuclear power facility delayed signing nuclear fuel deals with Russian companies while pursuing options with U.S. suppliers.

Energoatom, the nuclear power plant operator in Ukraine, postponed a signing with Russian fuel producer TVEL to renew its import contract after 2010, RIA Novosti reports, citing Ukrainian-language news outlets.

The two companies were set for an additional July 15 signing of a measure aimed at the construction of fuel-processing facilities for Ukraine, the paper said.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has not ruled out moving forward with talks with the U.S.-based Westinghouse Electric Co.

Westinghouse, the multinational nuclear technologies company, holds a supply contract at the South Ukraine nuclear power plant, which is designed to handle Russian fuel.

Ukraine does not have the industrial capacity to enrich its own uranium, leaving it dependent on import agreements for its fuel. Its entire current nuclear fuel supply comes from Russia, but those contracts expire in 2010.

Ties between Moscow and Kiev soured notably in the energy sector. Russian gas monopoly Gazprom cut gas supplies to Ukraine following a January dispute over pricing terms and debt. That row has lingered in bilateral relations since.