US Could Take Over Ukraine’s Nuclear Plants To ‘Protect’ Them: Trump Told Zelensky

In their phone call on Wednesday, President Donald Trump proposed to President Volodymyr Zelensky that the United States take over Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. “President Trump also discussed Ukraine’s electrical supply and nuclear power plants,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said of the call summary.

Trump said that “the United States could be very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise,” the summary added, as it was pitched that US ownership would offer “the best protection” for Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Zelensky’s office said that Ukraine is willing to agree to a 30-day halt on hitting Russia’s energy infrastructure, after Putin agreed. “Ending strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure could be the first step toward fully ending the war and ensuring security. Volodymyr Zelenskyy supported this step, and Ukraine confirmed its readiness to implement it,” the readout from the Ukrainian side said.

No specific mention was made of which nuclear facilities the plan might involve, but Zelensky said later that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine was discussed, which is Europe’s biggest. It is at this moment under control of Russian forces.

Ukraine has three other nuclear power facilities which it still holds. Zelensky said the question of Zaporizhzhia’s fate would be determinant based on Ukraine forces regaining it at restoring normal operations:

Whether US control over the plant could serve as part of a peace plan was a “question of whether we are able to recover it and recover operations”, Zelenskyy added. The Ukrainian president said he was exploring with Washington whether “there could be an understanding that the US could recover [the power plant]”.

Trump hailed the talks with Zelensky as “very good” and that peace talks are “very much on track.” However, there doesn’t appear to have been much new momentum on the controversial minerals deal, but clearly the nuclear power proposal is similar or an outgrowth of that.

But Zelensky on Thursday followed by saying of the proposal that he “will not discuss” US ownership of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants with the US. Thus after hearing the idea Kiev has quickly rejected it. He has also not signed on to the minerals deal, which has floundered.

Leavitt: Trump said the U.S. could help run Ukraine’s power plants. He believes American ownership would be the best way to protect Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Translation: the U.S. wants to own Zaporihzhya nuclear power plant, otherwise it might fall into Russian hands.0/ pic.twitter.com/Ct58BtA4y7

— Tymofiy Mylovanov (@Mylovanov) March 19, 2025

The US and Ukraine delegations will soon meet in Saudi Arabia again, parallel to US-Russia delegations meeting. Of talks with Moscow, Waltz has said, “We agreed our technical teams would meet in Riyadh in the coming days to focus on implementing and expanding the partial ceasefire President Trump secured from Russia.”

The US has confirmed it will continue sharing defensive intelligence with Ukraine, and that Trump has agreed to work with Zelensky on his request for more air defenses to protect Ukraine.

One war observer and pundit questioned on X: “Rare Earth Metals are no longer hot topic, as the United States now shifts its attention to Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plants. Could someone clarify how is this supposed to help Ukraine?”