Volodymyr Selenskyj emphasizes national ownership while signaling openness to U.S. investments in the nuclear sector.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj has firmly rejected a proposal by U.S. President
Donald Trump regarding the potential takeover of the country's nuclear power plants by the United States.
During a joint press conference in Oslo with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Selenskyj stated, "We will not discuss this.
We currently have 15 nuclear reactors in operation.
All of this belongs to our state."
In contrast, Selenskyj expressed a willingness for American investments aimed at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is currently under Russian control and is the largest nuclear facility in Europe.
He noted, "If they want to reclaim it from the Russians, to modernize it, and to invest – that is a different question, an open question, and we can talk about this."
The context for Selenskyj's remarks follows a conversation with Trump, wherein the U.S. president suggested the idea of American acquisition and operation of Ukrainian nuclear facilities.
Following their dialogue, Selenskyj had indicated discussions regarding the future of the Zaporizhzhia plant.
Statements from U.S. officials, including National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, confirmed that the conversation centered on issues of energy supply and nuclear power.
They noted that "American ownership would be the best protection for this infrastructure."
Ukraine's nuclear energy sector comprises four active power plants, all of which were constructed during the Soviet era.