President Donald Trump proposed Wednesday a U.S. takeover of Ukraine's nuclear power plants as a means of preventing further Russian aggression in the three-year war.
Trump made the proposal in a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the leaders' first conversation since a heated exchange in the Oval Office on Feb. 28. The call came a day after Trump talked on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who agreed to a partial ceasefire covering energy facilities and infrastructure.
"President Trump also discussed Ukraine's electrical supply and nuclear power plants," Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz said in a joint statement. "He said that the United States could be very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise. American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure."
The power plants could also be beneficial should the U.S. cement a deal with Zelenskyy regarding access to Ukraine's vast mineral resources. The deal is contingent on extracting and processing those minerals, which takes a lot of energy that a nuclear power plant such as the six-reactor Zaporizhzhia site, Europe's largest, could provide, The New York Times reported Tuesday.
A current Ukrainian official and a former one, both of whom have knowledge of talks between the U.S. and Ukraine, told the Times the plant might be on the table because it's partly tied to U.S. negotiations with Ukraine over a mineral deal.
Zelenskyy didn't address the proposed mineral pact, which was expected to be signed before the Oval Office dustup, or U.S. control of nuclear power plants in a statement after the call, according to The Hill. But he supported Trump's push for a partial ceasefire and agreed to continue working closely with the White House.
"We agreed that Ukraine and the United States should continue working together to achieve a real end to the war and lasting peace," Zelenskyy said. "We believe that together with America, with President Trump, and under American leadership, lasting peace can be achieved this year."
In their joint statement, Rubio and Waltz said Zelenskyy "asked for additional air defense systems to protect his civilians, particularly Patriot missile systems. President Trump agreed to work with him to find what was available, particularly in Europe."
They added, "The two leaders also agreed on a partial ceasefire against energy. Technical teams will meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to discuss broadening the ceasefire to the Black Sea on the way to a full ceasefire. They agreed this could be the first step toward the full end of the war and ensuring security. President Zelenskyy was grateful for the President's leadership in this effort and reiterated his willingness to adopt a full ceasefire."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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