Russia intends to control the resumption of work and operation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP when it becomes safe, but would be ready to discuss the sale of electricity to Ukraine, the head of the state nuclear corporation "Rosatom" Alexey Likhachev said today, quoted by Reuters, writes BTA.
The agency notes that his statement highlights the disagreements between Moscow and Kiev over the status of the nuclear power plant, which Russian armed forces seized in the first weeks of the war in 2022.
The fate of the plant in southern Ukraine is one of the key points in the peace talks. U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed American ownership or management of Ukraine's nuclear power plants, including the one in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in December that the United States had proposed joint tripartite management of the plant with a U.S. general manager. He said Kiev was proposing Ukrainian-American use of the plant, with the U.S. determining how to use half of the electricity produced.
All six reactors at the plant are currently shut down and kept cool to ensure their safety, but Likhachev said preparations were underway to restart them when security conditions allowed. He added that Russia had issued operating licenses for two of the units, a third would be issued soon, and licenses for the others were also being prepared.
"We are ready to resume work, the necessary equipment is available," Likhachev told reporters after meeting with Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency. "As soon as the opportunity arises, we will start commissioning and operating the plant under the supervision of the IAEA," he added.
Likhachev described a scenario in which Rosatom would operate the plant, but "commercial aspects could be considered multilaterally."
"Under certain conditions, electricity supplies could be discussed, including to Ukraine," he added.