Trump's offer to Zelenskyi What will happen to the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant?

To secure the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine, Donald Trump has brought a takeover of the USA into play. How this is supposed to work is questionable - as long as the area around the plant is occupied by Russia.

When it comes to the future of Ukraine, the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant is at the top of the list of unresolved issues. The Ukrainian nuclear power plant has been occupied by Russian troops since 2022. In order to wrest the plant back from Russian control, US President Donald Trump has proposed taking it into American possession for security purposes. What is at stake?

Zaporizhzhya is one of the ten largest nuclear power plants in the world and the largest in Europe. The nuclear facility is located in the southern Ukrainian region of the same name, Zaporizhzhia, which was occupied by Russian troops shortly after the start of Moscow's war of aggression in February 2022.

Power plant no longer produces electricity

The power plant is still connected to the Ukrainian power grid, but is no longer producing electricity. Ukraine has accused Russia of stationing troops and weapons there and using the site as a base for attacks. Moscow denies this and in turn accuses Ukraine of firing on the facility.

According to a statement from the White House, Trump has now proposed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the country's power plants be taken over. This would ensure the safety of the plants. "American ownership of these power plants could be the best protection for this infrastructure," explained Trump.

In addition to the Zaporizhzhya plant, Ukraine has three active nuclear power plants. They are crucial for power generation in the war-weakened country. Due to the ongoing Russian attacks, many coal, gas, thermal and hydroelectric power plants have been damaged. Apart from Zaporizhzhya, all three other nuclear power plants are located far away from the war front.

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"All nuclear power plants belong to the Ukrainian people"

After the phone call with the US President, Zelensky explained that the conversation was specifically and exclusively about Zaporizhzhya, not about taking over the other nuclear power plants. "All nuclear power plants belong to the Ukrainian people," he emphasized. Even if Zaporizhzhya is state-owned, Ukraine could consider the USA taking the power plant out of Russian hands and modernizing it, Selensky explained.

However, extensive repairs would be necessary before the plant could be put back into operation, he said. According to his estimates, this would take at least two years.

Fighting has repeatedly led to power cuts

The condition of the power plant has deteriorated since the Russian occupation. And even though the six reactors have been shut down, they still need a power supply and qualified personnel to maintain the cooling and safety systems.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly warned of radiation leaks in the midst of war. The cooling of the fuel must be maintained, but the fighting has repeatedly led to power cuts. So far, the power supply has always been restored quickly.

Control of the plant remains a legal and logistical challenge, which is linked to a fundamental issue: control of the land itself. Russian troops hold the area around the power plant.

"To simply hand over the plant while everything within one meter is occupied or armed by Russia - no one will work under such conditions," Selenskyj said. "That is impossible." No security can be achieved under such conditions: "That would mean that the plant could go into operation tomorrow, only to be blown up by the Russians the next day."