US Plans to Compete With Russia on Nuclear Energy Look 'Strange' Amid COVID-19 - Diplomat

VIENNA (Sputnik) - Washington's plans to win a market share in the nuclear technologies sphere from Russia look strange and show that the United States is yet not aware of the new reality of the coronavirus, Russia’s permanent representative to international organisations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, said.

"From the political point of view, the presentation of such tasks looks at least strange and shows that the US energy sector representatives have not yet understood the new reality emerging in light of the coronavirus, which, I believe, calls for cooperation instead of tough competition", Ulyanov said.

The diplomat also expressed the belief that it would be hard for the US to compete with Russia in the nuclear energy sphere.

The new US energy strategy, which has been submitted to President Donald Trump for consideration, says that the US should become a global leader in the nuclear technology market, superseding Russia and China. Beijing has already criticised the strategy.

According to the Johns Hopkins University count, more than 2.7 million people have contracted the coronavirus disease to date, and over 190,000 people have died worldwide.