This week, in a call with Ukrainian President Voldy Measelensky, President Trump gave a very unusual idea. The United States was able to control nuclear power plants in Ukraine.
“The United States could be extremely useful in operating these plants with its electricity and utility expertise,” the White House said in a statement after a call Wednesday. “American ownership of these plants will be the best protection for its infrastructure and support of Ukrainian energy infrastructure.”
The idea surprised Kiev officials and energy experts, and it was not clear whether Zelensky would agree to such a plan. Ukraine owns four nuclear power plants, and it appears that both sides do not agree with the number of facilities the idea is concerned about.
At a press conference, Zelensky proposed that the idea would be limited to the largest Zaporidia nuclear power plant in Europe, currently under Russia’s control.
Ukrainian leaders explained that they discussed “positive steps” with Trump about the plant, but added, “I don’t know if we’ll get any results anytime soon.”
The White House statement repeated familiar debates from Trump. The US’s economic involvement in Ukraine is that it serves as its best security guarantee, as it is unlikely that the US will target countries with economic interests. Trump also applied such inferences to potential deals regarding access to key minerals in Ukraine.
So what is the U.S. interests in the nuclear sector of Ukraine, and what challenges do they face?
US economic benefits
The Soviet-era nuclear power plants in Ukraine were the backbone of the energy network during the war, supplying up to two-thirds of the country’s electricity. Moscow mercilessly attacked Ukrainian thermoelectric and hydroelectric power plants in order to cripple the grid, but avoided attacking nuclear facilities that could cause radiation disasters.
Against this backdrop, the Ukrainian government has argued that it is the only viable solution to launch plans to build more nuclear reactors and ensure long-term energy security.
This is where American business interests can emerge.
Just before the war, Westinghouse, an American nuclear technology company, signed a contract with Energy Acids, a state-owned nuclear company in Ukraine, to build five reactors. After Russia attacked, the number increased to nine, and the two companies agreed to further cooperate in deploying four more small plants in Ukraine.
For Westinghouse, it was a breakthrough after years of struggling to enter the nuclear market in Ukraine, which was long dominated by Russian nuclear giant Rosatom.
Westinghouse has a special interest in the six-reactor Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Russia captured the plant in March 2022, but it no longer supplies power to the Ukrainian grid. However, before the war, they used Westinghouse’s fuel and technology.
Ukrainian nuclear safety expert Olga Kosharna said Russia’s acquisition of the Zaporidia plant raised concerns at the Westin House about the potential theft of its intellectual property. In 2023, the U.S. Energy Agency warned in a letter to Rosatom that if Westinghouse technology is used in a factory, the company could face charges under US law.
Andia Prokip, an energy expert at the Kenan Institute in Washington, said Westinghouse “will definitely benefit” from returning to Ukraine’s hands from the plant’s return as it expands its market.
It is unclear whether Trump has discussed the fate of the Zaporidian plant with Russian President Putin, as he vowed to Russian President Putin on Tuesday.
Westinghouse did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Current Ukrainian officials and previous officials, both with knowledge of the talks between the US and Ukraine, said Kiev had emphasized Trump that if the US wanted access to Ukrainian minerals it would need the power generation capacity of Zaporizhzhia plants.
Possible issues
For one thing, all nuclear power plants in Ukraine are owned by energy factors, and Ukrainian law prohibits privatization.
Amending Ukrainian laws to grant US ownership is politically sensitive in post-Soviet countries where many major industries remain state-owned.
Ukraine has been engaged in the wave of privatization during the war. But privatized energy acids – the most profitable state-owned enterprises – will likely be the point of sticking.
“I think there is a great deal of resistance to this idea in Ukraine,” said Victoria Boitsitzka, a former Ukrainian MP and senior member of the Parliament’s Energy Committee. “From both sides of the political spectrum.”
Zelensky hinted at the issue at his press conference after his call with Trump. If Russia returns the Zaporidia factory to Ukraine, there is a very little outlook for many Ukrainians — it is impossible to “simply hand over the plants” — Zelensky said.
Getting plants to work again after three years of war is also a considerable challenge. Zelensky cited a period of up to two and a half years to run the degraded Zaporidia plants again.
Additionally, all six Zaporizhzhia reactors are closed, but to prevent meltdowns, they need critical safety systems and critical safety systems to circulate through the cores and energy to run the water.
However, the power lines that provide electricity to plants have been reduced several times in the war, and perhaps at Russian direction, the destruction of nearby dams reduces access to cooling water and increases the risk of nuclear accidents.
