[Dargo]

Originally Posted by Skybird

[Der Tagesspiegel] In the recent phone call between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, the two also discussed Ukraine's nuclear power plants. Trump had advocated for the US to take over these facilities, but Zelensky later stated that they had only discussed one of four: Zaporizhia.

The White House had argued regarding the takeover as follows: "American ownership of these facilities would be the best protection for this infrastructure and support for Ukraine's energy infrastructure." This was because, they argued, Russia would not attack a country in which America has economic interests. But what could really be behind the US president's idea? The New York Times investigated the matter.

The newspaper reports that the US nuclear company Westinghouse had signed a contract with the Ukrainian state-owned nuclear power company Energoatom shortly before the war in Ukraine. This contract involved the construction of five reactors. After the war began, the number was increased to nine, and the companies agreed to further cooperate on the construction of smaller plants in Ukraine.

Nuclear power plants are so important to Ukraine because they largely secure the energy supply in times of war. Russia has repeatedly attacked the energy infrastructure, but not the nuclear power plants.

The New York Times further writes that Westinghouse has a particular interest in the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant – the one that Trump and Zelenskyy reportedly discussed. Because before the war, the nuclear power plant used fuel and technology from the US company.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is now occupied by Russia, and there are apparently concerns that Western technology or the knowledge behind it could fall into Russian hands. Olga Kosharna, a Ukrainian nuclear security expert, told the newspaper.

Whether Trump's proposal would even be feasible is questionable. Ukrainian law prohibits the privatization of nuclear power plants. Changing these laws, writes the New York Times, would be politically sensitive.

There are already American investments in Odesa, including in the port doesn't seem to have protected anything.