Russian plutonium at centre of proliferation concerns

Hailed six years ago as a breakthrough in safeguarding Russia’s nuclear materials, a US-Russian plan to rid the world of tonnes of plutonium has foundered and achieved little.

Even though the US has spent $1.4bn (€1.1bn), none of the plutonium has been removed from the weapons stockpile, nor is it any expected to be destroyed anytime soon. In addition, Moscow recently acted on its own to change the programme so it better suits its energy goals.