- Category
- Latest news
Trump: Putin Halted Attacks on Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant as Russia Eyes Reopening
- Authors
![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
The future of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant surfaced as one of the most contentious issues following talks between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with Trump suggesting cooperation with the Russian leader that Kyiv has repeatedly ruled out.
Asked about the Zaporizhzhia plant, Trump claimed that the Russian leader is “working with Ukraine on getting it open.”
Every article pushes back against disinformation. Your support keeps our team in the field.
Trump added that he’s [Putin] been very good in that sense and that he wants to see that open. Trump went on to say, “He [Putin] hasn’t hit it with missiles.”
Nevertheless, Russia is putting the ZNPP at risk by increasing its deployment of armored vehicles and infantry positions within the temporarily occupied ZNPP.
The plant has been under Russian military occupation since the early days of the full-scale invasion in 2022—a fact that explains the absence of direct missile strikes on the facility.
Ukraine has repeatedly rejected any cooperation with Russia in operating the plant. Zelenskyy’s proposal instead envisions a framework in which control of the Zaporizhzhia facility would be shared between Ukraine and the United States, excluding Russia entirely.
-47847f6fece9bc736ad556f69e2a1d65.jpg)
Speaking at a joint press conference after the meeting at Mar-a-Lago, Trump framed the issue as a breakthrough.
“This is the largest nuclear power plant in the world, and they can start it up very quickly. It’s a very big step that he stopped targeting it with bombs,” Trump said.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant—the largest in Europe—has been under Russian occupation since March 2022. All six reactors were placed into cold shutdown later that year amid mounting safety concerns. International nuclear watchdogs have repeatedly warned that nearly all fundamental principles of nuclear safety at the site have been violated.
Following the meeting, Zelenskyy published a statement on X underscoring Ukraine’s position and the progress made in talks.
“I thank Donald Trump for a great meeting. We had a substantive discussion on all issues, and we much appreciate the progress achieved by American and Ukrainian teams in recent weeks,” Zelenskyy wrote.
I thank @POTUS Donald Trump for a great meeting. We had a substantive discussion on all issues, and we much appreciate the progress achieved by American and Ukrainian teams in recent weeks. Special thanks to Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for their engagement and full… pic.twitter.com/cDAC2LFl6K
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 28, 2025
Ukrainian President concluded that both parties “agreed that security guarantees are key on the path to achieving a lasting peace, and our teams will continue working on all aspects,” and emphasized that “Ukraine is ready for peace.”
Earlier, a localized ceasefire was established near the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), enabling the start of critical power line repairs aimed at reducing nuclear safety risks, according to a statement from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
-29ed98e0f248ee005bb84bfbf7f30adf.jpg)
