Russian President Vladimir Putin said the United States and Russia are negotiating joint control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) without Ukraine’s participation
Speaking at the meeting with major business figures on Wednesday, Dec. 24, Putin said that Washington is interested in using the plant’s electricity for cryptocurrency mining, while also pushing to supply power to Ukraine, Kommersant reported.
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The ZNPP, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, provided roughly 20% of Ukraine’s electricity before the war. Located near Enerhodar on the Dnipro River’s left bank, the plant was seized by Russian forces in March 2022 at the start of the full-scale invasion.
By September, all reactors had been placed in cold shutdown and the plant was transferred to Rosenergoatom, part of the Russian state corporation Rosatom. Ukrainian specialists reportedly continued working on-site but were issued Russian passports.
The US unveiled a 28-point peace plan for Ukraine in mid-November, which Kyiv later trimmed to 20 points. President Volodymyr Zelensky presented the revised plan but said agreement has yet to be reached on territorial issues and the future of the ZNPP.
Zelensky said the US had proposed a three-party management system for the plant with Washington in the lead, while Ukraine wants to exclude Russia and operate the facility on equal footing with the US. The plan also envisions freezing the front line in Zaporizhzhia, meaning the ZNPP would remain under Russian military control if peace is signed.
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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned that the plant currently violates nearly all key nuclear safety standards, and the six shut-down reactors cannot be safely restarted under current conditions.
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