Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant highlighted in Ukraine peace talks

President Donald Trump has his eyes on the coveted Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant as part of peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during an Oslo press conference Thursday, March 20.

The two leaders have been discussing a limited ceasefire for the past couple weeks focused on energy infrastructure, and as of Tuesday most recently agreed to a limited ceasefire eliminating force in the Black Sea, after Russian president Vladimir Putin rejected a Ukraine- and U.S.-backed full 30-day ceasefire.

Zelenskyy said Trump asked him about the Russian-occupied nuclear power plant plant, and Zelenskyy “told him that if it is not Ukrainian, it will not work for anyone. This is illegal.” But Zelenskyy said if Americans are thinking of a “way out” and “want to take it away from the Russians and modernize it,” then this is “a different issue, an open issue.”

“We can talk about it,” Zelenskyy added.

Zelenskyy and Trump talked by phone and agreed on a partial ceasefire where energy infrastructure would not be attacked, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement Wednesday. 

“[Trump] said that the United States could be very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise,” Rubio said. “American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure.”

According to Politico, Zelenskyy later clarified in a video call with reporters that he and Trump only discussed Zaporizhzhya, not other plants, and “we did not discuss the issue of ownership with President Trump.” He added that Zaporizhzhya belongs to the people of Ukraine.

Russia’s nuclear energy operator Rosatom has occupied the station since March 2022, a month after Russia invaded Ukraine and the conflict between the two territories began. The plant provides 20% of the country’s electricity and produces six gigawatts of power.

Rafael Grossi, director general of nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in a statement Friday that it was “encouraging” to see Zaporizhzhya being “considered in ongoing conversations” in the military conflict, and that the agency was ready to provide technical support.

“Without interruption, the IAEA has been present at this major nuclear plant for two and a half years now, doing everything possible to help prevent a potentially disastrous nuclear accident,” Grossi said. “We all wish for this devastating war to end as soon as possible.”

Environmental watchdog Greenpeace Ukraine called on IAEA in a statement early February to stop Rosatom’s “illegal plans” to restart Zaporizhzhya’s nuclear reactors, which Greenpeace called “part of Russia’s strategy to maintain long-term control over the site.”