The Kremlin is setting conditions for establishing permanent control over the occupied Zaporizhia NPP (ZAPP), suggesting that it plans to annex additional territory in Ukraine.
Greenpeace Ukraine reported on May 27 that satellite images from early February 2025 to May 23, 2025. show that Russia has laid 90 kilometers of power lines near the Sea of Azov in the occupied Donetsk and Zaporizhia regions.
This is according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
These are the first observed indications that Russia is acting on its long-standing plans to connect the ZAO to the Russian electricity grid.
The head of the Russian state nuclear energy operator "Rosatom" Alexei Likhachev said on May 21 that "Rosatom" had developed a plan to bring the ZAO to "full capacity", suggesting that Russia intends to bring the reactors out of their current state of cold shutdown.
US President Donald Trump's seven-point peace proposal of April 2025 included a clause for Ukraine to regain control of the plant with the participation of the United States, and the proposed peace plan between Ukraine and Europe also contained this clause.
However, Russian authorities have repeatedly rejected it.
They are likely taking advantage of the fact that Ukraine and Russia have not set specific deadlines for the next steps in the peace process to delay the process altogether and prolong the war. U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine General Keith Kellogg told Fox News on May 27 that the United States has received Ukraine's list of terms and conditions for a potential peace treaty and is now waiting for Russia to present its version in order to begin coordinating the two sides' positions.
Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky said after Ukrainian-Russian talks on May 16 in Istanbul that the two delegations had agreed to present their versions of a possible future ceasefire, but did not specify a deadline.
Russian Foreign Ministry (MFA) spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on May 27 that Russia was preparing its own version of the memorandum.
The Council of the European Union (EU) has approved the first phase of the European Commission's "ReArm Europe/Readiness 2030" plan. On May 27, the EU Council announced that it had adopted a regulation establishing a financial instrument called "Security Action for Europe" (SAFE). It will facilitate joint defence procurement efforts between interested EU Member States to enhance defence manufacturing capacity.
The EU will make up to €150 billion (approximately $170 billion) available to Member States. The package will benefit Ukraine by allowing Ukraine to join the joint procurement efforts and make military purchases with EU companies.
Ukraine is eligible to receive funding through SAFE for the purchase of materials including ammunition; artillery systems; ground combat capabilities and their support systems; critical infrastructure protection; air defence systems; maritime surface and underwater capabilities; drone and counter-drone systems; command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISTAR) systems; protection of space assets; artificial intelligence (AI); and electronic warfare systems.
The EU's five-part "ReArm Europe" plan is vital to Europe's short- and long-term security and is in line with US President Donald Trump's calls for Europe to shoulder more of its own defense needs.
Ukraine's Western allies continue to provide military assistance to Ukraine. The Swedish Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced on May 26 that the Swedish government had recently approved funding worth 4.8 billion Swedish kronor (approximately $499 million) for the purchase of materials to support Ukraine's defense capabilities.
The package allocates 480 million Swedish kronor (approximately $50 million) to the Ukraine Defense Contact Group; over one billion Swedish kronor (approximately $104 million) for the Danish procurement model, which allows foreign countries to purchase Ukrainian-made materials for the Ukrainian army; 418 million Swedish kronor (approximately $43 million) for the purchase of equipment to support the development of Ukraine's land combat capabilities; 550 million Swedish kronor (approximately $57.1 million) and 546 million Swedish kronor (approximately $56.7 million) for the Czech and Estonian ammunition initiatives, respectively; and over one billion Swedish kronor (approximately $104 million) for air defense and the purchase of long-range drones for Ukraine.