Donald Trump has proposed that the United States take control of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants as a strategy to help end the ongoing Russian invasion. On a recent call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump mentioned that American expertise could enhance the management of these plants, and that American ownership could offer the best protection for Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, according to U.S. officials.
Zelenskyy later clarified that their conversation was mainly about the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is currently under Russian control and is the largest in Europe. The discussion comes three years after Russian forces seized the facility, stirring fears of a potential nuclear disaster similar to Chernobyl. Trump’s suggestion has brought attention to the plant as a key element in potential peace negotiations, which may also aim to recover the billions of dollars in military aid provided by the U.S.
Ukraine operates four nuclear power plants with a total of 15 reactors, all of which are Soviet-designed VVER pressurized water units. Six reactors are at Zaporizhzhia, but they have been offline since the Russian takeover. The other nine reactors are operational but located in plants under Ukraine’s control: Rivne, Khmelnytskyi, and Pivdennoukrainsk.
Petro Kotin, the head of Energoatom, Ukraine’s state nuclear power company, remarked that only France has a similarly developed nuclear energy sector in Europe. Ukraine is also working on two new reactors at the Khmelnytskyi site, with plans for eight additional units, aimed at nearly doubling its energy-producing capacity by 2050.
While it is unclear whether the U.S. truly wants to own Ukraine’s nuclear facilities, a summary of the conversation between Trump and Zelenskyy suggests this may be the case. Zelenskyy emphasized that the emphasis of their discussion was on aiding the recovery and modernization of the Zaporizhzhia plant, rather than ownership transfer.
Zelenskyy insisted that “all nuclear power plants belong to the Ukrainian people,” and stressed that if the Zaporizhzhia plant isn’t under Ukrainian control, it wouldn’t function properly for anyone.
The importance of the Zaporizhzhia plant is significant as it previously accounted for about 20% of Ukraine’s electricity prior to the conflict. The ongoing occupation of the facility has resulted in a significant loss of electrical capacity for Ukraine.
Reviving operations at Zaporizhzhia will be vital for Ukraine’s rebuilding efforts, as the demand for reliable and affordable electricity is expected to rise post-war. Ukraine also hopes to export electricity to Europe.
However, the plant needs a stable supply of water for cooling and fuel storage, something compromised by a dam explosion that occurred earlier this year under Russian control. The nuclear reactors are currently in a “cold shutdown” state and require continuous maintenance and monitoring.
The Trump administration might view the plant as a means to tap into Ukraine’s valuable resources, including rare minerals. Although a previous deal regarding these resources was supposed to be signed during a meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy, it was postponed.
The U.S. company Westinghouse is already involved in Ukraine’s nuclear sector, supplying nuclear fuel assemblies for the Soviet-designed reactors after Ukraine ended its purchases from Russia. They are also constructing a new reactor at Khmelnytskyi, which could become Ukraine’s largest nuclear facility.