Belarus is proposing to build a nuclear power plant in the east of the country that could supply electricity to Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine, President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday, quoted by "Reuters".
Lukashenko presented the idea to Russian President Vladimir Putin during talks in Moscow.
"If a decision is made, we will immediately start building a new power unit or a new plant if there is a need (for electricity) in western Russia and in the liberated areas," Lukashenko said, using language Moscow uses to describe Ukrainian territory seized by Russia.
The proposal highlights the close ties between Putin and Lukashenko, even as U.S. President Donald Trump pursues a strategy of offering incentives for the Belarusian leader to release political prisoners and improve relations with the West.
Putin responded that "financing is not a problem at all. If there is a consumer who will accept electricity and pay the required tariff, this is not a problem at all".