Zelenskyy: Ukraine’s Nuclear Plants Belong to the People as US Considers Role in Restoration

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that all nuclear power plants belong to the people of Ukraine and they are not private property. He made the statement during the joint press conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre on March 20.

“If the Americans want to take the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant from the Russians, invest in it, and modernize it — that’s another conversation, and the question remains open. But ownership was not discussed with Trump,” Zelenskyy stated.

The Ukrainian President has also made it clear that Kyiv will not discuss neutrality regarding joining defense alliances, including NATO. He added that the US stepping back from discussions on Ukraine’s NATO membership would be a gift to Russia.

“The United States, as NATO’s principal ally, does not support Ukraine’s accession to NATO — that’s the reality today. But I believe we cannot simply hand this over to the Russians. In my view, taking this off the table is a huge gift to them,” Zelenskyy said.

During the same conference, Støre announced that Norway would increase its military aid to Ukraine this year to $8 billion.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he discussed with US President Donald Trump the possibility of US assistance in restoring the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, which Russia seized in March 2022.

Later, on March 20, the United States expressed willingness to take control of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants as a potential measure to help end the ongoing war.