Ukraine seeks US support in regaining control of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, joint energy projects

Ukraine seeks U.S. support in regaining control of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) and launching joint energy projects, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said on April 16, Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform reported.

"We have a common interest with the United States to bring the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant under Ukrainian control and start the operation of this nuclear power plant," Halushchenko said at an Atlantic Council discussion.

"It can bring new opportunities for cooperation between us, for example, when it comes to electricity exports."

The plant, the largest in Europe and among the top 10 worldwide, has been under Russian occupation since the early days of the full-scale invasion in 2022.

Halushchenko suggested that restarting the plant could play a key role in Ukraine's long-term reconstruction.

"We will need more electricity for any project that may be implemented in Ukraine, together with the U.S. We need more electricity to rebuild the country on a large scale," he added.

The minister also emphasized that allowing Russia to maintain control of the plant would be a "total disaster" for global nuclear safety.

"If we allow the Russians to keep control of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, even without resuming its operations, it will be a total disaster for everything the world has achieved in the development of peaceful atom."

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Halushchenko also raised alarm over repeated Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure and their implications for nuclear security.

Since August 2024, over 150 incidents have been recorded in which Russian missiles or drones flew near or over Ukraine's nuclear sites, including Zaporizhzhia.

Though a narrower agreement was reached on March 25 to suspend attacks on energy infrastructure, that truce has largely failed to hold. Both Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of violating the energy ceasefire.

U.S. President Donald Trump floated the idea of joint U.S.-Ukrainian ownership of Ukraine's nuclear plants during a March 19 call with President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling it the best protection for Ukraine's critical infrastructure.

Russia has rejected any possibility of transferring control or entering into joint operations. On March 25, the Russian Foreign Ministry claimed that the plant is "a Russian facility" and ruled out its return to Ukraine or cooperation with third parties.

Russia continues to claim ownership of the plant based on its illegal annexation of Zaporizhzhia Oblast in 2022, even though Ukraine retains control over the regional center and large parts of the territory.

The annexation followed staged referendums widely condemned by the international community.

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The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy