The U.S. is preparing a new draft agreement with Ukraine on mineral resource development, which will not include the issue of nuclear power plants, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated.
“This is a comprehensive agreement reflecting the American side’s vision of how they see it. That is, moving beyond the previous framework agreement… a full agreement is being developed. Right now, the American side has proposed a large agreement—their vision. I don’t have the details yet,” Zelensky said during a conversation with journalists on Tuesday.
According to him, “the issue of nuclear power plants is not included there, by the way, if that’s of interest—it’s not in the agreement.”
“I have requested a thorough review of this agreement, a clarification of all its details, and then we will convene to understand that this is already a serious document. Such a document will likely be developed by both sides and then submitted to parliament for ratification,” the head of state said.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky also discussed the issue of American investments in the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant with U.S. President Donald Trump.
"We discussed the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant over the phone once. I also think they [the Americans] discussed it with the Russians. I think so. I don’t believe there are any other negotiators… I told him that they [the Russian forces] blew up the dam, meaning access to water is gone. There are many issues, and no one will supply electricity to the Russians—they expected the Zaporizhzhia plant to provide them with electricity, and so on. No, this is our plant, it will not operate without us and will not work for them. That is my position, and I conveyed it to President Trump," Zelensky said during a conversation with journalists on Tuesday.
Trump, in response, told him that the plant needs repairs.
"I told him—yes, everyone knows that, the IAEA has confirmed it, our technical specialists have confirmed it. We estimate it will take two to two and a half years to restore and get the plant back on its feet, so to speak. That’s a lot of money. And he asked me if we could work together on this issue. I told him—yes, if you invest in modernization, yes, if you help us regain the plant, okay. So, it was a normal conversation," Zelensky added.
